The King's Tactician
by Thuiy
Summary: In the midst of a continental war, a mysterious tactician is charged by King Fado to protect his daughter, Eirika, as she travels on her perilous journey.
1. The fall of Renais

In the royal palace of Renais, two figures could be seen standing leaning against the parapet, faces cast in the glowing orange light of the rising dawn. The older looking man said something that caused the other man to recoil in shock.

"Your majesty, please repeat your order. I must have misheard you."

"I have no doubts that you heard me just fine the first time."

"But why? We both know that I can't help her."

"That's where you're wrong. You will be able to be there for her when no others can. You will be someone whom she can trust and confide with."

"I'll be keeping so many secrets from her though. I doubt she'd trust me."

"I have faith in my daughter. Please, I need peace of mind knowing that you'll help her in her time of greatest need."

"Yeah, see, that's the other thing. Why me specifically? Why not her brother, or some insanely devout knight?"

"Her brother is very different from her. She regards violence with utmost distaste whereas her brother views it as almost a game of sorts. She will need someone that can help deal with the hardships that she must face."

"... I understand why, but I still don't like it. You and I both know that I can't fight, or else I risk everything. I'll just be a burden on the battlefield."

"Do you really believe that? I know that your mind is one of your greatest weapons, and if you truly wish to help, you know of a way that doesn't involve other's blood being on your hands."

There was silence. If one were to walk up to the two men, they would notice that the youthful one was simply staring at his hands while the older one seemed to simply wait for a response.

"You know with this plan, you'll be dead by tonight, right?"

"I am well aware."

"Then I have some requests. First, we'll need Seth. I know you have faith in my mind, but without some extra swords, I doubt we'll make it very far. Second, I need you to introduce me to them as your tactician, and please leave out my background. I'd rather they didn't know about that."

"Something tells me this is not a secret that you can keep forever, but very well. I will follow your requests. Is there anything else?"

"Yes, you should tell Seth the truth about the sacred stone of Renais."

To say that the older man was shocked would be an understatement, but he seemed to quickly recover, a wide grin plastering his face.

"You see? I told you your mind was sharp. How did you figure it out?"

The younger man let out a chuckle.

"Please. Every country but yours has the stone held in an extremely secure location. Yet you claim yours is held in the throne room where guests regularly attend? I know from experience that your family isn't stupid, so I knew that it had to be a play. I won't pressure you as to where it is, but we might need someone who knows its whereabouts later. Eirika will have too much on her mind, and I fear that this war may have a far darker nature than we are being led to believe. Even if I'm wrong, the secret should be preserved, and you'll unfortunately not be able to tell either of your children yourself."

There was silence. The sun had finally revealed itself to the whole world, having finally lifted above the horizon, basking the land before it in an orange glow.

"I must go. If I am to assist Eirika, then I will need to be ready. I hope you will consider what I have said, but if you wish to ignore me, then that is certainly your choice. It's not like this is the first time you've ignored my advice, but seeing how this is the last time I'll see you, I suppose I should say that it was nice knowing you, your majesty." The young man said, bowing before his liege.

The man in question nodded, as the younger man wandered off. He had much to think about. He certainly did not like keeping secrets from his children and the loyal knights that resided in the castle, but it was the only condition under which the young man would have agreed to to work, and he made up for the secrets in spades. He just hoped it would be enough for his daughter.

 **(Later in the day)**

In the throne room of Renais, there were three people who seemed to be anxiously awaiting something. On the throne sat a tall and regal man in full plate armor, his beard and hair a dark cerulean color. Next to his throne stood a red-haired knight, whose eyes seemed to be constantly scanning the room, checking for any viable threats. Finally, there was a young woman, standing beside the knight, with the same blue hair as the man in the throne, her eyes seemed to portray the utmost despair of someone who clearly didn't deserve to know what it truly felt like to have lost. Suddenly, a youthful-looking blonde cavalier burst into the room, completely out of breath.

"Y-your majesty!" the youth said, gasping for breath. He barely had a moment to catch his breath as he approached the throne that his liege sat upon. "Grado's men have breached the castle walls!" He said, still panting.

King Fado frowned. "I see. This is not entirely unexpected. I believe we all knew that this was a possibility." The king turned to the other two figures. "Seth. You will take Eirika and Franz and head to Frelia; King Hayden is an honourable man. I trust that he will keep you safe."

Seth nodded. "Understood, your majesty. But what will you do?" The knight inquired.

"I will be staying here. Even now, with their men at our doorstep. We do not know Grado's true intentions. They have been our dearest allies for so long, and yet they attack us so suddenly. I must know their reasoning. And if it is because I have failed in my duties as a leader… Then it would be right for me to be here to face whatever fate I have brought upon my people." Fado replied, a solemn expression on his face.

"Father…" Eirika said.

"Eirika, are you still wearing the bracelet that I gave you?" The king asked

"Yes father."

"Good. Seth. There will be one more that will accompany you." The king said, as he motioned to a corner of the room. Suddenly, another man stepped out. He had short black hair and seemed to be wearing a tattered green cloak, with a white shirt and brown pants on underneath. He gave a short bow to the king before shifting his attention to Eirika and Seth. "This is my tactician. He has served me well over the past year, and I wish for him to help you on your journey. This man has my utmost trust, and I wish for you to give him yours."

Seth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Very well your majesty. We shall depart immediately." He eyed the tactician with distaste, but said nothing else.

Everyone within the room could start to hear the sounds of battle within the castle getting closer. King Fado stood from his throne and grabbed his lance. Seth, seeing that Eirika would not move from her spot, he tried to pull her away from her father but was met with too much resistance.

"Father, no! Please come with us!" Eirika screamed.

The king made no indication of moving, which caused Eirika to break into tears. Seth pulled Eirika with more force, taking her away from her father. "I'm sorry your highness" he whispered. The four figures ran through the back of the castle, making for the stables where Seth and Franz's horses were. The king, in what he knew were his final moments, allowed a few tears to fall from his eyes.

"Eirika...Ephraim...I am so sorry, I was such a disappointment of a father. I must leave you the daunting task of fixing my mistakes." His thoughts turned to that of his tactician. "My friend. I hope that you find what you are looking for, and I know that you will be of great help to my children in their time of need. If I had only listened to you, maybe this all could have been avoided." His final words left his lips as he opened his eyes and soldiers started pouring into the throne room.

 **(Meanwhile)**

The party of four had managed to get away from the palace, to the point where Seth felt comfortable allowing the princess to walk on her own again. Eirika noticed that the tactician seemed to also get off of Franz's horse. The man turned to the blonde cavalier.

"Franz, was it?" Franz nodded. "I need you to ride ahead and tell Frelia that we're going to be there soon." The cavalier recoiled in shock, and the tactician, seeing that he had to justify this order, continued. "One rider has a much greater chance of going unnoticed that a small group, and informing Frelia fast will likely get them to meet us halfway, increasing our chance of reaching their capital. Turn around the moment you find out that they'll send aid; we'll likely need your help." Franz nodded, and was about to get going when Seth started talking.

"Now see here _tactician_. I don't know why you feel you may make decisions without the princess' approval, but you have proven in the past that your tactics are less than effective. Now, if you are done trying to-" Seth said, before the tactician in question raised his hand to silence the knight.

"Sir Seth. I know that you don't like me. That much is pretty obvious. However, your king asked me to help you so I am. I felt like right now, we are in a hurry, and her highness just dealt with something pretty devastating, so I felt like it wouldn't be a terrible idea to just go ahead and make a simple decision." The tactician said, indicating towards Eirika, who was staring in the direction of her burning home, eyes red and tears streaming down her face.

"Fine." Seth relented. "But when we get to Frelia, I am going to make very clear your position and how you should behave."

"Aye aye sir." The tactician said in a sarcastic tone, mockingly saluting the knight. Eirika turned to the man in question, and was frustrated with the man she had known for barely a few seconds. He seemed so _happy_. How could he be happy at a time like this? It was as if the deaths of her people meant nothing to him. She was about to voice these frustrations when the party started hearing the sound of a wyvern's wings getting closer and closer to them. The tactician was the first one to spring into action.

"Franz, go. NOW." He commanded, and Franz's horse took off at a gallop. He then pulled Eirika with him behind Seth, ensuring that the wyvern rider had to go through Seth to get to them. This didn't seem to deter the wyvern rider, however.

"You there, with the girl. Tell me, would that happen to be the wayward princess of Renais? Well, this must be my lucky day. You're a dead man. The wench goes with me." The imposing man said.

Seth gritted his teeth and charged towards the man. "Never!" He exclaimed, and readied his lance towards the man. Unfortunately, at the last second, the man's wyvern pushed into the air and grabbed Seth's lance in its feet, allowing the rider an opportunity to strike.

"I am Valter, the Moonstone, Grado's finest general! And you're just a corpse who does not know he is dead!" Valter shouted, bringing down his axe and embedding it into Seth's lance arm. Seth cried out in pain.

"Seth, pull back! He's too strong and we need to get out of here!" The tactician yelled.

Eirika watched as Seth hesitated for the briefest of moments before freeing his lance from the wyvern's grasp and riding over to his two companions. He pulled Eirika onto his horse and dragged the tactician with his uninjured arm.

"Such terrible wounds, and still he holds to his duty? How entertaining. Fly away, little man. Fly away. Try to outrun death. More time to savor the hunt... and the kill." Vado said, loud enough that Eirika could still hear him. The general let out a hysterical laugh that seemed to echo off the surrounding hills as he flew away.

When the party was satisfied that Valter was no longer pursuing them, they finally slowed down their pace, and Seth begrudgingly allowed the tactician to walk on his own two feet. Seth turned towards the princess.

"Princess Eirika, please forgive me for grabbing you so…Brusquely earlier." Seth apologized.

"Don't be foolish, Seth. If it weren't for you, I would never have made it out of the castle. You are the reason I'm still alive. You have my gratitude. And whoever that man was, he was clearly after me... It's my fault that you received such a grave wound. Allow me to treat it, I-" Eirika was cut off, as the tactician approached them.

"Sorry to interrupt, but healing will have to wait. There's a few stragglers heading towards us, and Seth is the only one of us that's proficient in combat." The tactician explained.

"That's not true. My brother taught me how to use the sword. I could certainly take care of a few soldiers if necessary." Eirika said.

The tactician seemed to be weighing the pros and cons of allowing Eirika into combat. "Seth, do you have a sword for Eirika?"

Seth nodded. "I have a rapier that was entrusted to me by her father. He wanted you to be able to defend yourself, princess."

Eirika seemed about to tear up at the mention of her father, but she shook it off. "Thank you. You heal while I handle these soldiers."

"Princess, I must ask that you don't go on your own. I can still fight." Seth stated, though the way he held his arm, that clearly wasn't the case.

"No offence sir Seth, but I think the soldiers would laugh seeing you try to attack them." The tactician said. "I know enough of how to use a sword to watch Eirika's back. If you lend me your spare, I could at least delay the enemy enough for Eirika to finish them." He suggested. When Seth seemed hesitant, the tactician continued talking. "I would give it back to you afterwards, of course." He added.

Seth weighed his options, but decided that if the tactician helped, then they wouldn't have to waste time healing his arm later, and they could get to Frelia that much faster. He passed his steel sword to the tactician, and the black-haired man took it with a bow.

"Much appreciated. Let's go princess. They're almost upon us, and we can't let them reach Seth." Eirika nodded in agreement. They sprinted towards their foes, and were upon them in an instant. Eirika immediately engaged the closest enemy while the tactician seemed satisfied with standing a few paces away, eyes darting between the enemy in front of Eirika as well as the fighter that was rapidly approaching. Eirika thrust her rapier towards her foe, scratching his sides as he lept backwards to try and avoid her. The man swung his weapon wildly in retaliation, but Eirika easily avoided it. She felt a breeze brush by her back as she leapt towards her uncoordinated opponent, piercing his heart and killing him.

Looking around, the princess saw that the tactician's sword was locked with the second fighter's axe, and assumed that the breeze from before was the tactician rushing to her defence. Seeing that he was outnumbered, the soldier attempted to disengage, but the tactician managed to knock him on the side of the head with the flat end of the blade, knocking him back. Eirika then followed up by stabbing the downed man in the chest.

Wiping the blood off of her rapier, Eirika looked to her raven-haired companion. It was interesting that he had chosen to use the flat of his blade in that moment, for it likely took more effort than simply killing the man. Suddenly her thoughts were interrupted as she noticed the final soldier rushing towards the tactician. The black-haired man attempted to block the attack, but the look of surprise on his face when the weapons collided showed that the fighter had attacked with a surprising amount of force. The man stood over the tactician menacingly, poised to deliver the final strike.

"You will be the first to die!" The man exclaimed, as he brought down the axe.

Luckily, the tactician seemed to have good enough reflexes to roll out of the way of the axe. He tried to pick himself up, but received a blow to the face from the leader and was sent back to the ground, axe once again raised above his body.

But the feared outcome never came. Instead, the leader of the soldiers had a sword sticking through his chest, and his axe fell uselessly to the ground. Eirika was panting, having run over to save the tactician.

"Thanks princess. I owe you one." The man said, smiling.

Eirika let a tiny smile spread to her lips. "Actually, I'd say we're about even. I noticed that you delayed the second soldier and probably saved my life, so it's only fair that I return the favor." She explained.

The tactician chuckled. "If you insist, your highness." He said. "Come on, let's go get Seth and get out of here." And with that, the two marched back towards Seth, who seemed to have finished bandaging himself and applying his vulnerary.

"Your highness! It is good to see that you weren't hurt." The knight said, visibly relieved.

"Indeed, it is thanks to our tactician here that I was not injured." Eirika replied.

Suddenly the knight looked confused. "Princess… Are you sure you weren't injured? You look so pale."

Eirika looked back at the knight, her expression turning solemn. "I'm fine... Fine. ...This is war, isn't it? It's not at all like the games I used to play with my brother or Lyon. I never thought...I didn't know it would be this...savage. Are words useless? Is strength all that matters? It's so sad... Why would the Grado Empire do this? To what end would they start a war?"

"Unfortunately princess, war is a horrible, horrible place. Those that enter it do so knowing that they may never leave, and even those who never wanted to visit are often pulled in to be forever changed by its wicked ways." The tactician said, startling both the princess and the knight. "If you want to preserve your humanity, then you need to establish who you are and what you stand for. Once you get that, it is much harder for war to change you. Unfortunately, the pain of killing another person never goes away, no matter what you do to convince yourself."

"You speak as if you have experience in this." Eirika stated as a question.

"You could say that, but I would prefer to not talk about my past." He replied.

Eirika wasn't satisfied with his answer, but knew better than to pry. "Very well then. Thank you for your words. I will not let this war break me, I can assure both of you that. Tactician, you have gained both my appreciation and trust." She said, though she knew that she still held some resentment towards the tactician for how he acted earlier. "I am glad that my father asked you to join us, and I would appreciate your continued support. Could I please have your name?" The princess asked.

The man said nothing for several moments. Finally breaking the silence, he said "My name is irrelevant, your highness. I am your tactician. Nothing more." He stated.

Eirika frowned. "Have I done something to offend you sir? I'm afraid I don't understand why you insist on keeping your name from me."

"It is not a matter of 'keeping it from you'. I simply don't believe it is necessary for me to give you my name." The tactician looked at her, and saw that she was frowning even harder, almost even pouting. The man would have laughed had the circumstances been different. "But I can see that you won't be relenting anytime soon, so…" He trailed off.

"You may call me Mark."

 **A/N:**

 **Hi there everyone! Welcome to my first ever fanfiction. I know that my writing isn't great, but I really just want to get this idea out there and start writing. Maybe see people's reactions to this.**

 **I also realize after writing this that I suck at writing fight scenes, which only means great things moving forwards.**

 **I don't expect to have any kind of regular update schedule, so I apologize if there are big gaps in between chapters, but I will try my best to get them out at a somewhat reasonable pace.**

 **Finally, I would really appreciate any help that anyone can give. I have most of the ideas for this story in place, but I'm not set in stone on some of the background pairings, so I could use a hand with those, especially since it's been awhile since I've played Sacred Stones.**


	2. Escape!

Soon, it was nighttime. After having travelled as fast as they could, Mark announced that they had travelled far enough to the point where they could sleep without too much concern for their lives. While Mark went out to collect firewood, Eirika and Seth set up camp.

"Milady, I'm not sure how I feel about our companion." Seth said, breaking the silence.

"I know Seth, but there must be a reason why my father wanted Mark to join us. Give him time, and I'm sure he'll prove himself." Eirika replied. She paused for a second, and then added "Though I'm not happy about how he acted after Renais fell."

"That's not all princess. While I do appreciate him fighting and saving your life, I found something strange about his fighting style."

"What do you mean?" Eirika asked quizzically.

"I'm not entirely sure myself… I could just tell that something seemed strange. Something about Mark doesn't quite sit right with me, and I intend to find out what it is." Seth said.

Suddenly, they heard the brush move in the distance, and ended their conversation, knowing that Mark was likely within earshot. They made their fire, but only kept it lit as long as they needed to in order to cook their food, then they extinguished it. For the entire night, barely any words were exchanged, save for when night watches were decided.

As the trio travelled, little more than silence filled the air. After Mark revealed his name, he refused to talk any more about himself, and would not give an explanation as to why. While this infuriated both Eirika and Seth, neither could make any headway in getting their tactician to open up, so they eventually stopped trying. After a while, Mark turned to Seth and broke the long silence.

"Seth, could you ride ahead and see what the situation is? We should be near Mulan now." Mark said.

Seth glared at the tactician, but eventually relented. "Very well. You have proven yourself trustworthy enough, I suppose. Will you require my sword again?"

Mark shook his head. "No, it's better if you keep it. You can use it far more effectively than I can, and it is useful to have someone who can switch between two different kinds of weapons. If you see any signs of trouble, come back immediately, okay?"

Seth nodded, and he and his horse disappeared onto the horizon, leaving Eirika and Mark walking by themselves. Eirika looked at the man, and couldn't help but wonder about him. He seemed to switch between a carefree attitude and a serious one at the drop of a hat, but yet the man wouldn't talk about himself or his past. Suddenly, Eirika remembered how Mark had acted after their retreat from the palace, and decided to bring it up.

"Mark, I was wondering something." Mark turned his head to look at the princess. "When we left Renais palace, you didn't seem all that bothered with what had happened. I was hoping that you could explain to me why." She said, trying desperately to not let anger get to her.

Mark stared at her for a few more seconds, then sighed and looked up at the sky. "Like I said before princess, war is awful. Everyday people die in war, and often there's little that can be done about it." He then looked back at her. "But I don't need to tell you that, do I? Your father told me all about how much you hate violence."

"Yes, but I feel like you're avoiding my question." Eirika replied.

"Sorry, sorry. The point is that, while war is still on our doorstep, we need to accept the idea that people we know and care about are going to die. Even though he was much older than I am, his majesty was the only real friend that I had, and if I had the time, I would probably mourn him." He paused. "But that's the whole point. I don't have the time to mourn. I don't have the time to reconsider what could have been if I had made different choices because if I do nothing, then his dying wish - which was for me to help and protect you - will not be achieved because there are so many people that would want nothing more than to see you dead. I can't afford to be sad, because the only way that I can help you is with a level head. When things settle down, I'll mourn."

Eirika thought about what he said for a second. "And what about all the civilians that were killed in the conflict? Do they not deserve to be mourned as well?"

At this, the tactician seemed confused. He cocked his head to the side, and then his eyes opened wide. "The old man really didn't tell you?" He asked incredulously.

"Didn't tell me what?"

Mark let out an exasperated sigh. "Goddamit. I thought he'd at least told his own DAUGHTER. Listen princess, when it looked like Grado was about to go to war with us, I had to give your father an ultimatum. We knew we didn't have enough of a force to push back their army, but we could hold them off until reinforcements from Frelia or some other country showed up. Unfortunately, it would be extremely hard to do so while minimizing civilian casualties. Your father then told me that, no matter what, civilians were to be ensured safety above all else." Mark paused, trying to decide whether or not to continue. "Including victory."

Eirika's eyes widened, realizing what the tactician was saying.

"So he asked that I come up with a new plan. I worked for weeks trying to find out what to do, and by the time Grado actually attacked, I only had one answer. I'm not a perfect tactician, princess. Heck, my sister is far superior to me in that aspect. The only strategy I could come with was to intentionally lead Grado towards the palace, where they would win the war while meeting little resistance. The remainder of our forces would be tasked with evacuating and protecting the rest of the populace, ensuring that hardly any civilians would be killed in the conflict."

Eirika was visibly shaking. "Was there truly no other way?" She said, almost whispering.

"Perhaps not. Maybe there was another solution. That's the burden of being a tactician. 'Could I have done things differently?' 'Was there a way to save them?' Those are the questions that are constantly going through my head. I know that you and your people will probably never forgive me princess, but I did the best I could." Mark said solemnly.

Eirika swore that she could see a look of regret in his eyes, and she realized that Mark was hurting just as much from this war as she was. He knew that he was responsible for an entire country being taken over by the enemy, and it looked like that weighed heavily on his conscience. Perhaps this man wasn't quite as bad as she expected. After all, if what he said was true, then he was only following her father's orders to keep the citizens of Renais safe. She supposed that if he truly felt such regret for what happened, then she could certainly find it in herself to forgive him.

"I see. Thank you for sharing this with me. I can see that this was quite a personal topic that you shared with me, and I truly appreciate that. I would also like to apologize. When I saw how you acted after Renais fell, I judged you as a bad person, but I can see that this is not the case. Can you forgive me for thinking this?"

Mark laughed. "Princess, it's fine. It wouldn't be the first time someone thought bad things about me. I'm just happy that you let me know and that I've managed to change your mind." He said with a goofy grin, causing Eirika to smile as well. "Now, if we could only do the same with sir Seth the uptight…" Eirika laughed at the nickname Mark gave her bodyguard.

After walking in comfortable silence for another half hour, they saw Seth approaching from over the top of a hill.

"Your highness! Mulan is ahead, but it appears as if the city is under attack from Grado's forces. We should avoid Mulan at all costs, as your safety is of the utmost importance." Seth announced, finally approaching the two.

The smile that Eirika had previously been wearing quickly turned into a scowl. "I'm sorry Seth, I know why you would say that, but we can't just ignore the townspeople. I would like to assist them, if you believe that it's possible."

Seth didn't say anything for a moment, but then sighed and started talking. "Yes princess, it is possible." He turned to Mark.

"What do you think, tactician?" Seth asked

"I'll need to see the city before I can make that call. I'm gonna go out on a limb and guess that it's where the pillars of smoke are coming from?" Mark said, pointing to the horizon.

Seth whipped his head around and swore when he saw what Mark had pointed out.

"There wasn't any fire when I saw the city. If we are to save the townspeople, we must hurry if we are to save the citizens!" Seth shouted, pulling Eirika onto his horse and once again forcibly dragging Mark by the arms.

"Ow! You know, I can clearly see that there's room on your horse for one more." Mark exclaimed, but Seth simply continued onwards, either not hearing Mark's cries or choosing to ignore them. "Fine then. Be that way." Mark mumbled.

Finally, Mulan came within view, and the three could finally witness the events that were unfolding. Being a small outpost more than a city, there stood an imposing fort flanked by two cliff faces, effectively blocking access deeper into Frelia. Unfortunately, the fort also appeared to be crawling with Grado soldiers. A little ways away from the fortress, there were small villages, which were where a majority of the chaos was happening. Small groups of soldiers were running around with torches and axes, lighting buildings on fire and cutting down villagers while laughing. Eirika could only stare at the scene, completely horrified with what she was seeing.

"Every time I see Grado's soldiers in action, I can't help but think that they act WAY too similar to bandits for my taste." Mark said, having finally stood up, a look of disgust plain on his face.

"What do you mean?" Eirika replied. "I thought you made sure that this didn't happen in Renais."

"I'll explain later. Right now, people's lives are at stake. Seth. There's a group on the other side of the village. You handle them while the princess attacks this group head-on, using the buildings as cover. Once you finish your group, attack the closest one from behind, and we should make short work of them."

Seth nodded, grudgingly acknowledging that Mark's plan seemed to be the best way to go about saving the villagers.

"Tactician, I must request that you take my sword. If I am to be away from princess Eirika, I would be more at ease if someone were to be around to protect her." Seth paused, and then added "I also don't believe that it would be fair for milady to have to look out for you, herself, and the villagers. You must shoulder some of the responsibility yourself."

"Geez. Just when I thought you might have actually complimented me… Fine. I'll take the stupid sword, now go. NOW." Mark said, unhooking the scabbard from the side of Seth's horse.

As Seth took off as fast as he could to the other side of the village, Eirika took the lead and headed towards another group of four soldiers that were near the edge of town. Mark put an arm in front of Eirika, and motioned to her that he wanted to sneak up on the group. Luckily, that part of the town had yet to be put to the torch, and it appeared as if this group of fighters was taking a break, so the fire wasn't a problem while they were sneaking.

However, what WAS the problem was that Eirika had absolutely no idea what she was doing. Sure, she'd played hide and seek as a child, but that was about as close as she got to actual stealth training. Now that she was actually trying to sneak, she realized a few things. One: her footsteps were a lot louder than she had initially expected. Two: it's hard to stick to shadows in the middle of the day. Three, and this would be one of the more important lessons that Eirika had learned that day: when you don't know how to do something, either ask or copy Mark. The man seemed to know exactly where to go to avoid being seen, hiding behind sheds and opened doors, only moving between cover when the men were talking, and Eirika found that simply following him made the task easier, though it did lead to the question of how exactly a tactician had stealth training, but Eirika put those questions to the side for now, as they were finally in an ideal position to strike at the bandits after several minutes of sneaking around.

After nodding to each other, the two leapt out of their concealed position and faced the bandits, who had only a split second before one was cut down by Eirika and the other was hit in the head by the pommel of Mark's sword. Eirika quickly pivoted her foot and struck out at another soldier, who barely managed to block the swipe in time, but Eirika swung her sword again, slitting the man's throat. She then noticed that Mark was on the defensive against the remaining fighter and rushed to his aid. Realizing that he was outnumbered, the remaining fighter started targeting Eirika, realizing that she was the more dangerous target. However, while he turned his attention towards the princess, Mark managed to land another blow with his sword's hilt, stumbling the man and allowing Eirika to land the finishing blow. Eirika then went over to the man that was lying unconscious on the ground and pierced his heart, ending his life.

"Why do you not kill them?" Eirika asked. "Surely you can't feel sympathy for them. Look at what they did to this poor village!"

"Princess, trust me, I know exactly what these people have done and would continue to do. But I have one rule when I fight." Mark leaned in closer to Eirika. "I don't kill. Period." He said.

Suddenly they heard people shouting from the middle of the town, and the both of them turned their heads towards the source of to outburst. Standing next to a fountain was a group of six enemies, some using spears, that had noticed Eirika and Mark, and were rapidly gaining.

"What do we do, Mark?" Eirika asked.

Mark quickly scanned the surroundings.

"The buildings aren't close enough for us to effectively losing them, and holding out in one would only give them an opportunity to break down the walls and surround us or even worse, set the house on fire while we're in it. We need to run." Mark said.

The two turned around and started running away. However, it soon became apparent that their opponents were faster than them, for they were quickly gaining. Clenching his teeth, Mark motioned for the both of them to pass through a small space between two houses. When Mark was sure that all six of his foes had also gone into the corridor, he turned around and readied his sword.

"Keep running princess! I'll buy you some time!" Mark shouted.

"What! No, I-" Eirika started.

"There's no time! Just go! Find Seth, and finish the ones that I leave for you."

"But I-" Eirika was cut off again as the sound of hoofprints filled their ears.

Suddenly, from the other side of the corridor, Seth, Franz charged the soldiers from the other side, effectively flanking them for Mark and Eirika. In a matter of moments, the group of six was no more.

"Amazing timing there you two! I wasn't too confident on my chances there." Mark said, breathing heavily from the running and fighting.

"Indeed. Perhaps in the future, the two of you might consider running training?" Franz asked.

Mark rubbed the back of his head.

"While I certainly can't speak for the princess, I'm definitely gonna try and get in better shape." Mark said with a chuckle. He turned around to face Eirika, who shot him a glare that practically screamed 'we will be having a talk when this is over.' Mark gulped when he saw it, and turned back around to see a man in heavy armor run up behind the two cavaliers.

"And who is this?" Mark asked.

"My name is sir Gilliam. I've been sent by my lord, King Hayden of Frelia to escort princess Eirika to the capital. We weren't expecting Grado to beat us here though, so don't expect any more reinforcements." Gilliam replied.

"Are you walking with a limp, sir Gilliam?" Eirika asked.

"Yes, one of Grado's men managed to hit my leg pretty hard. I think it's fractured." Gilliam replied.

Mark glanced towards Franz.

"Sir Franz." He said

"Yes mr…. Tactician?" Franz replied, not having been told Mark's name.

"Please, call me Mark. I just wanted to make sure of this, but I thought that I gave you a spare vulnerary."

Franz froze, and then slowly reached into his pouch, only to realize that Mark was correct. With a visibly pale face, Franz pulled out his spare vulnerary and passed it to Gilliam.

"M-my apologies, sir Gilliam. I uh… kind of forgot that I had that." Franz said nervously.

Gilliam gave Franz a blank stare, then sighed and downed the vulnerary.

"It's fine, I wouldn't have been able to keep up with you and general Seth anyways." Gilliam replied.

Mark clapped his hands.

"Great! Now that everyone's in top shape, there's still a fort that needs to be re-taken." Mark stated.

Everyone nodded in agreement, and they set off for the fort. Along the way, Mark noticed that Eirika was specifically avoiding eye contact with him, which Mark knew was likely a result of the little stunt he pulled in the alleyway.

Once the fortress was in sight, Mark gave the order to stop. Enemy soldiers were being mobilized, and were starting to charge at the group.

"Why are they charging at us? Surely it would be easier for them to stay in the castle and defend?" Eirika wondered.

"Well, while I could attribute it to low intelligence, that would require underestimating our opponent, which would just end up getting us killed. No, it's more likely a pride thing." Mark replied.

"A what?"

"You know, a matter of pride. Sure, any decently equipped military outfit could hold their own in a fort with such similar numbers, but they want to prove that they're stronger than us. Not just to themselves, but to their entire country. If they were to capture you in this manner princess, they would be hailed as heroes back home and songs would be sung of their great battle."

Eirika contemplated this. "I see. And you're sure that this is why they are charging us?"

"No, there are a few other reasons that I can think of, but they all seem unlikely. Although… Is it possible that they have a hostage?" Mark asked.

Everyone thought about this question for a while, until Gilliam's eyes suddenly widened.

"Princess Eirika, princess Tana is a close friend of your family, correct?" Gilliam asked. When Eirika nodded, Gilliam clenched his teeth. "It is quite likely that she would have come near the border to make sure that you and your brother were safe. If she were to be in Mulan…"

"Then it would be entirely possible that they would take the princess hostage. Damn them!" Seth exclaimed.

"Hmmm…. But they might not know that the princesses are close friends… They might have a hostage that they don't know how to use. Luckily for us, I don't see anyone in restraints in the group up ahead." Mark pointed out.

"Thank goodness for small favors…" Franz muttered.

The group was finally closing in on them, which consisted of eight soldiers. None were mounted, but there was one man in heavy armor that appeared to be trailing behind the rest of the group.

Mark quickly went over his strategy. "Sir Franz, sir Seth, I want you to take the left and right side. Make sure you don't hit them from the front. When you defeat your target, disengage and help anyone that looks like they're struggling. Only from the rear or sides. In the meantime, sir Gilliam will take the point of an arrow formation consisting of me, him, and the princess. Only let sir Gilliam and sir Seth attack their knight; none of the rest of us will be able to make a dent in his defenses. Any questions?"

When no one answered, they all split up as Mark suggested, and it went quite smoothly. Seth managed to kill one of the soldiers in a single charge, and circled around to start engaging with the knight, while Franz became locked in single combat with a lance user, neither being able to gain any real ground on the other. Gilliam was holding his own against two lance users, while Eirika and Mark were battling side-by-side, with Mark occasionally blocking or parrying his opponents, leaving them weakened for Eirika.

When an opening appeared towards the knight, Mark realized that Seth might get too bogged down with his fight to help anyone else that needed it, such as sir Gilliam. Desperate, Mark turned to Eirika.

"Eirika, I need you to charge the knight. Your rapier should be able to slide in between his heavy plates fairly well. Do you think you can take him while he's distracted?" Mark asked, making sure not to talk too loudly so that the enemy didn't hear him.

Eirika looked at the knight, then at Seth, and then back at Mark. "If you watch my back, I should be fine." Eirika replied.

With a nod, Eirika took off, and a lance wielder was about to hit her with the blunt end of his polearm, only to find Mark resisting the swing, narrowly avoiding the princess' head. Eirika managed to reach the heavily armored knight, who was too preoccupied with Seth to notice Eirika approaching until she was within striking distance. However, the man had amazing instincts, and managed to dodge Eirika's first lunge. In retaliation, the knight swung his lance wildly, trying to both block Seth's strikes and injure Eirika at the same time. However, Eirika simply ducked under the lance, and jumped back up to pounce on the knight only to get caught by the man's gauntlet, sending her flying through the air. Unfortunately for the knight, it was at that moment that Seth was once again able to strike, and Seth's heavy silver lance easily pierced the knight's armor, effectively killing him. Seth then proceeded to assist Gilliam with his adversaries, while Mark rushed over to Eirika's side, having knocked out his opponent.

"Eirika! Are you okay? Do you have a vulnerary?" Mark asked.

Eirika could barely think straight, and it took her a second to recognize what Mark was saying. "Yes… In the bag… On my belt…" Eirika managed to get out.

"Okay, hold on." Mark said, rummaging around the pouch that Eirika mentioned.

Soon, the rest of the combat managed to die down, and Mark managed to pour the vulnerary down Eirika's throat, causing her head injury to disappear. Eirika reached up to where she had been struck, and grimaced when she saw that there was blood on the wound.

"Hey, could have been worse." Mark said. "Sorry for making you fight that guy though. I'll be more careful with my orders in the future."

Eirika waved off his concern. "It's fine. The injury was not too serious, and your reasoning was sound. Thank you for healing me."

"No problem princess. Anyways, let's gather up the others and go see if we were right about princess Tana." Mark said, helping Eirika up and walking towards the others.

As the duo walked by, they noticed Seth executing the soldiers that Mark had knocked out. When he saw Mark, he frowned.

"Why do you spare these soldiers lives?" Seth asked.

Mark sighed. "I don't play by too many rules in war sir Seth, but one of the ones that I do play by is that I don't kill people. It is not a thing that I do." He stated, and started heading off towards the fortress before anyone could ask any further questions.

Seth simply frowned more as he watched the tactician walk of with Gilliam and Franz beside him. Eirika however could see that Seth wanted to say something, so she held back with him.

"Your highness, I have realized why I find Mark's fighting style so strange. He's holding back." Seth stated.

Eirika looked at Seth quizzically. "Really? But he seemed to be fighting just fine."

Seth nodded. "I'm certain. Though I'm not sure why, our tactician is not fighting at his full strength. I can tell by the way that his eyes move that he likely has incredible technique, but for some reason, he isn't using his full potential. Needless to say princess, but this doesn't sit right with me. I will inquire once we-"

Eirika cut him off with a wave. "No Seth. I will talk to him. With you it will be more like an interrogation, and since I still believe that Mark is a valuable ally, I don't want either of you to harbor resentment towards the other."

Seth pondered what Eirika said for a few moments before slowly nodding. "Very well. If that is what you wish, your highness." Seth said as he walked away.

Eirika followed him into the fort, and upon entering, found that their allies had already found and released Tana.

"...sorry. I never meant to cause any of you such trouble." Eirika heard Tana say.

"It was no trouble. I live to serve, princess." Gilliam replied.

"Besides, I'm pretty sure that even if we did nothing, the princess would probably just charge in here anyways." Mark said, turning his head and grinning at Eirika. "Isn't that right, your highness?"

Just as Eirika was about to protest, Tana rushed towards her friend, wrapping her in a hug.

"Eirika! I'm so glad you're safe!" Tana shouted.

Eirika returned the hug and chuckled. "Same here Tana. But why are you here, so far from castle Frelia?"

Tana broke out of the hug and looked solemnly at Eirika. "I'd heard that Renais had fallen, and I was so worried…I came here to make sure you were safe, but Grado's men were much closer to the border than our scouts has reported, and I was captured. But enough about me. Is Ephraim safe? I didn't see him with you."

At the mention of her brother, Eirika's expression fell. "I wish I knew… Even before the fall of Resnais, we hadn't heard from him for several days."

"You haven't heard from him? Oh, I hope he's not been harmed... Come, we must go to Castle Frelia. My lord father may know something." Tana replied, obviously worried about the prince of Renais.

"Thank you Tana. Let's be on our way." Eirika replied.

As both Seth and Mark were confident that Grado's forces were unlikely to pursue them any further, the group was able to relax at camp that night, all of them having been extremely tired after the day's work. Eirika was busy catching up with Tana when she looked over and saw Mark socializing with Franz and Gilliam. Having remembered what she had talked about with Seth earlier, Eirika excused herself from her conversation with Tana and approached the dark-haired man.

"Excuse me Mark. I was wondering if I could talk to you for a second." Eirika said.

Mark looked up at her and could tell that she needed to talk about something important. He flashed the goofy grin that he was quickly becoming known for. "Certainly, princess. Franz, Gilliam, excuse me for a moment please." When they nodded, the two wandered off into the surrounding forest. Once they were out of earshot, they stopped and faced each other.

"What do you need, princess?" Mark asked.

Eirika took in a deep breath. "A few things, actually. But let's start with one of the most pressing matters. Seth has noticed something strange about your fighting style, and has recently confided in me that you appear to be holding back when you fight." Mark's eyes widened, but Eirika continued. "I would very much like to know if he is correct, and if he is, I would also like to know why you it is that you aren't fighting as hard as you could be."

Mark paused for a few seconds, gathering his thoughts, and then faced the ground and let out a sigh. "Yes princess, I am holding back when we fight. Honestly, I would prefer not to be on the front lines at all, but we don't have enough people for me to just sit in the back while you do all the work. I don't fight at my full potential because if I did, people that I don't want to find me would end up finding me very quickly. My fighting style is… Unique, and not from around here, so I would stick out like a sore thumb." He looked back up at Eirika. "There are other reasons, but that involves my past, and as I told you before, I really don't want to talk about my past. I understand that my answers aren't great, but they're the ones that I can give you." Mark finished.

Eirika looked at Mark, scanning him up and down. Now that she got a closer look at the man, it was obvious that he was in shape. Perhaps not as much as Gilliam or Seth, but he was definitely not just a simple tactician.

"I will trust you Mark. My father obviously trusted you, and you've shown us today and when we escaped Renais that you are worthy of that trust. I hope that one day you will tell me of your past, if only so that I can help you bear with obviously painful memories." The princess said, giving Mark a faint smile. As Mark smiled back, Eirika was reminded of the second thing that she wanted to talk to Mark about. "However… I still remember the little stunt you pulled earlier today." Mark's smile faded, and his skin paled as he realized what Eirika was talking about.

"Wow princess, it's getting late. Ireallyneedtogetsomesleepgoodnight!" Mark hastily said, desperately trying to head back to camp, only to encounter resistance as Eirika grabbed his cloak. He turned around, and noted that this was the first time he'd seen Eirika angry.

It was the most terrifying thing he'd ever seen, which was saying something for the tactician. He wished that he would never see it again, but he knew that to do so would require luck that he didn't have.

"Don't try and run away from me! Do you have ANY IDEA how much it hurt to watch another person give up their life for me?! I just lost my father, and then you go and almost get yourself killed!" Eirika shouted, her eyes starting to mis.

"Princess, I-"

"Don't. Just don't. All I need to hear from you is a promise that you won't do that again. I don't want anyone else giving their life for mine. Please."

Mark stared at Eirika and sighed, finally finding the words that he felt he needed to say. "Very well princess. To the best of my ability, I will not sacrifice myself or anyone of our allies." Eirika smiled, tears still threatening to fall down her face. "But I need you to understand something. This guy right here?" Mark said, indicating himself. "Not perfect. I'm a good tactician princess, but I make mistakes." He paused. "Correction: I've MADE mistakes. So I know that I'll make more. If I have to make the decision between my own life and yours princess, yours will get picked every time. If you can't accept that, I'm sorry. But that is where I stand." As Eirika finally started crying, Mark bowed his head and turned around. "Your life is simply more important than mine princess. I know that losing someone you care about is heartbreaking. I know that I'm only making it harder when I should be helping you, but I needed you to hear that. You're strong, and I'm confident that you can handle the task ahead." He tilted his head back just far enough that Eirika could see the side of his face, and he gave her a sad smile. "And I'll help you for as long as I can. As long as you need me, I'll find a way to be there. So don't worry about me leaving anytime soon." Mark said, walking back towards camp.

Eirika stood there, motionless, not sure what to do. The tears had stopped a while ago, and she simply sat herself next to a tree and let her thoughts wander, but she was eventually snapped out of her daze at the sound of footsteps. Eirika turned to see Seth approaching her.

"How did the questioning go?" Seth asked.

Eirika rubbed her eyes, which were still red from the tears earlier. After all the talk of death, she still couldn't quite get her father out of her mind. She still had a faint hope that the man yet lived, but she knew that she had to prepare for the worst.

"He was as cryptic as always, though I did manage to get him to open up a little more to me." Eirika replied.

"What exactly did he say?" Seth asked, and so Eirika summarized what Mark said about his fighting capabilities, but left out to part of the conversation regarding his actions that day.

"I see. And even with his vague answers, you still believe that he can be trusted, your highness?" Seth asked.

Eirika nodded.

"I see. Then I shall treat him with the same respect you do. Farewell your highness. I will leave you be for the night. I must get going, as it appears only princess Tana and I know how to cook, and it would be unbecoming of a knight to allow a princess to do chores, no matter where she may be from."

And so, with a bow, Seth walked off, leaving Eirika to deal with everything that had happened over the last few days.

 **A/N:**

 **Hey guys! I'm not dead!**

 **But seriously though, I had some trouble with this chapter, and there's still a lot that I don't quite like, but I owe it to you guys to get at least SOMETHING out, and I think I could spend another month on this chapter and still not be satisfied.**

 **Luckily the next chapter should be shorter, so I doubt it'll take that long.**

 **Please feel free to tell me your thoughts on your story!**


	3. Interlude: Frelia

For a whole week, the small group continued on to the Frelian capital. Mark was often seen striking up conversations with Franz, Gilliam, or Tana, but whenever he tried to talk to Eirika, he could barely get more than a sentence out of her. Surprisingly, Seth actually seemed to be more accepting of Mark as the days went on, to the point where Mark could actually talk to Seth without feeling like Seth wanted to strangle him in his sleep. One of those times was after several days of travel, when they were both on cooking duty.

"So how long have you been a knight, sir Seth?" Mark asked.

"I was initiated as a squire on my tenth birthday, which was considered quite young, but the knight to whom I was a squire for was a family friend, and he saw that I had great potential." At the mention of his old master, Seth smiled, which was a rare sight for Mark, but the smile quickly faded. "Though I doubt that he still lives. He held his majesty in high regard, and was unlikely to have gone with the groups to evacuate the citizens. I imagine he died defending the castle." Seth admitted.

Feeling a hand put on his shoulder, Seth turned to face Mark. "I understand. If you held him in such high regard, then I'm sorry that I couldn't do more to save him."

Seth shook his head. "It is not your fault tactician. I am aware of the king's decision, and I'm actually impressed that your plan worked as well as it did. Aside from some of the border towns earlier in the war, the civilian casualties were practically non-existent. My initial distaste towards you was due to the fact that I'd never even heard that the king HAD a tactician, and so you were a complete unknown to me." He paused. "That's not to say that I have no questions, but the princess has deemed you worthy of our trust, so I will give mine."

Mark was genuinely happy to hear Seth say that. Having been afraid that the man would only make life more difficult for him, to hear him say that he would be as trusting towards him as Eirika was allowed him to relax significantly.

"Thank you sir Seth. I'm glad that Fado decided to send you after all. Turns out the old man does listen to me sometimes."

Seth turned to Mark, and realized that he had to pick his question carefully. Mark seemed to be in a mood where he might actually explain something rather than just raise more questions, but if Seth asked the wrong question, Mark might clam up again, and who knows when Seth would get another moment like this.

"You suggested me?" Seth asked, deciding that it was one of the safer questions.

Mark nodded. "I've heard that you get along quite well with the princess, and I know that you're a very strong and devoted knight. We needed help, but we also couldn't allow ourselves to get bogged down with too many soldiers, since we knew we needed to move as fast as possible. Honestly, the original plan didn't even involve Franz or myself, so you may have been able to get here even faster."

This infuriated Seth. The man was meant to be answering questions, not creating new ones! "You likely weren't too well informed on my relationship with Eirika, or else you likely wouldn't have involved me. That, however is a story for another time. You said that you originally weren't going to come with us?" Seth asked.

Mark hesitated, but eventually spoke up. "Yes."

"Then how were you going to escape?"

Mark was silent for a while before he muttered "I wasn't." Seth recoiled at this, not expecting something so somber from the man that was almost always cheerful.

"May I inquire as to why you didn't plan to travel with us in the first place?"

Mark hesitated, knowing that he had to pick his words very carefully. "A few reasons. Like I said, you and the princess needed to get to the capital as quickly as possible, but as you're probably aware, my being here hasn't really changed your pace. The main reason was that I felt like it was my duty to die with the king, because I was the reason why he died in the first place."

Silence filled the air after Mark's revelation, and Seth wasn't sure how to continue. Seth had never been very good at social interactions, having focused a majority of his life on his training, but from his interactions with the royal family as well as a few of Renais' finest cavaliers he was able to tell that Mark needed someone to talk to, and Seth wanted to learn more about their tactician.

"While I commend your dedication to our liege, I question your decision. Your death at the hands of Grado would have been completely pointless and likely would have achieved nothing except in bringing sadness to your friends and family-" Seth stopped when Mark laughed.

"Sorry, sorry. Please, go on." Mark said, a grin plastered on his face.

While this odd behavior certainly gave Seth pause, he determined that the best thing to do was to finish his thoughts. "What I'm trying to say is that throwing your life away with the king would be a pointless waste of life. If the king allowed you to serve as his tactician, I must admit that you are probably immensely capable, and will likely prove more so as we travel. To lose you would be a major loss for our cause, if nothing else, so I must ask that you never again consider something so foolish." Seth finished.

Mark nodded. "Don't worry sir Seth. I've already been lectured by Eirika. I won't throw away my life foolishly, but I will tell you what I told her. If it comes down to it, I will sacrifice myself. I'd only do so in extreme situations where I can't find another way out, but I will risk my life over everyone else here. That's just how I operate, and if you want me to be your tactician, then that's something you'll have to deal with."

Seth was about to argue, but stopped himself. Mark seemed very adamant about his position, and Seth knew that his relationship with the tactician was not very strong, to be putting it lightly.

"I will accept that… For now. So long as your strategies don't involve you actively throwing yourself at our foes, I see no reason to argue with you. But if I may ask, why did you laugh when I was talking?" Seth asked.

"I'd rather not talk about it. It'd only confuse you. Now, let's get cooking, shall we? Although, you're probably going to have to do most of the work. I'm a horrible cook." Mark admitted.

Seth sighed at the answer that Mark so frequently gave to the group's questions. He hoped to one day learn more about the man, but that was obviously not today. They continued to cook in relative silence, with the only words exchanged being when Seth had to reprimand the tactician's lack of attention when the food was burning. Every so often, the others would pass by and laugh at the sight of their tactician absent-mindedly abandoning his station, only to be reeled in by Seth. They were all glad that Seth was there to ensure that the food was edible, and would later agree with the knight that Mark should never be allowed to cook without someone more competent watching over him. Even though war was upon them, thanks to the antics of Seth and Mark, for just one night, all of their troubles seemed to be worlds away.

The group eventually managed to reach the castle of the Frelian capital. Upon their arrival, the castle guard rushed out to reach Tana, clearly relieved to see that she was safe. At Tana's request, she and the group were taken before her father, King Hayden.

"Oh, Tana... I'm grateful to see that you're safe and home again! You've no idea how I worried when I heard you were under attack at Border Mulan. You are not to leave again without my permission. Do you understand?" Hayden exclaimed, clearly happy to see his daughter safe and sound.

"Father, I know that you're mad, but I brought good news! Look!" Tana said, gesturing to the group behind her.

Eirika stepped forward from the group. "King Hayden. It is good to see you again, even in these troubling times." She said.

King Hayden's eyes lit up upon seeing Eirika. "Eirika! It is good to see that you are safe."

"Thank you. I managed to escape before leaving castle Resnais, though my father made me leave him behind...Your highness, have you heard any news of my father?" Eirika pleaded.

King Hayden, in response, could do nothing more than close his eyes and stay silent, which was all it took for Eirika's group to get the message. Tears threatened to fall down Eirika's face, while Seth, Mark and Franz bowed their heads out of respect to their now-dead liege. After a few moments, Eirika spoke up.

"Please, King Hayden, do you know if my brother is still alive?" Eirika asked, her voice barely louder than a whisper.

King Hayden nodded. "Yes, though for how long, I do not know."

"What do you mean?"

"Prince Ephraim is, last my reports told me, in Grado. He is hounding their forces at every step, but I don't know if he can last much longer. My pegasus knights died bringing my reports back to me, so I can only imagine what the situation is like of the young prince." Hayden relented.

Eirika was silent, thinking about her options. She looked back towards the other members of her group, and managed to catch Mark's eyes. Sensing what Eirika was thinking, Mark nodded assuredly at her. Gaining the affirmation that she needed, Eirika turned back to the Frelian king.

"Your highness. I must go. I need to find my brother and make sure that he's safe." Eirika stated.

Hayden frowned. "Princess, as a close friend of your late father, I cannot allow this. To try to save your brother with such a meager force would be suicidal, and I would be betraying my late friend to allow you to continue."

"Your majesty, I know you mean well, but I just lost my brother, and I must make sure that I don't also lose my brother to this war. Please understand."

Hayden was silent for a while before sighing. "I don't suppose there is anything else I could say that would make you reconsider?"

"I'm sorry your highness, but I must go."

"You and your brother are so similar to your father it's uncanny…" Hayden muttered. "But very well. I cannot send any of my army with you, but I can send some of my best and brightest. Vanessa."

A green-haired woman in a pegasus knight's uniform stepped forwards. "Here, your highness!"

"Moulder."

A middle-aged man with brown hair and moustache, clad in a traditional priest's robes stepped up next to Vanessa. "You called, my king?"

"Gilliam."

Gilliam stepped forwards from his position next to Franz. "Yes, sire?"

"You all are to accompany Princess Eirika into Grado territory and ensure that both she and Prince Ephraim return safely to Frelia. Will you do this for me?" King Hayden asked.

"Hm. Certainly a grave responsibility, but if my king feels that I can help, then I will." Moulder said.

"No matter the obstacles, I will perform my duty, my liege." Vanessa affirmed.

"I was going to go with them anyways...But it's nice that you've given me permission." Gilliam said, cracking a grin.

"These are some of my most trusted and stalwart vassals. It would give me peace of mind to know that they are aiding you in your travels." Hayden said, giving Eirika a slight smile.

"King Hayden… Thank you." Eirika said, glad that her father's friend was supporting her.

"If you truly wish to thank me, you'll stay the night here. You look exhausted, and I fear for your safety if you were to start travelling again in such a state."

Eirika was about to protest, but Seth strode forwards. "Thank you, your highness. I believe that we will accept your kind offer." He said, surprising Eirika until she saw him nod his head towards Franz, whose clothes were torn, hair dirtied, and face drooping with the look of someone who has no energy left. Eirika remembered then that the man had travelled an incredible distance in such a short time, and twice no less!

"Yes, I believe we will." Eirika agreed.

Predictably, Franz let out a sigh of relief knowing that he would finally get the chance to rest after travelling for so long. The group started to disperse, but Hayden spotted Mark, and seemed to perk up.

"Excuse me, who are you, may I ask?" Hayden inquired.

Mark turned and gave a short bow to the Frelian king. "I go by Mark, your majesty. I was king Fado's tactician until he assigned me to his daughter's side."

Hayden turned to Eirika. "Is he telling the truth? I didn't know that my dear friend even HAD a tactician."

Eirika nodded. "My father revealed Mark's existence when he ordered us to leave Renais. I was not aware of his existence prior to then either. It seems my father wanted to keep Mark's position a secret."

Hayden frowned at this new information. "And why is that?" He asked, turning back to the tactician in question.

Mark shrugged. "I kind of asked him to. It was one of the main conditions of my contract with him. I don't really want to be in the spotlight; I'd make too many enemies."

"But there's more to it than that, isn't there?" Hayden asked.

"Yes, but I would rather not say. All you need to know is that my loyalty was to king Fado. He's gone, so now my loyalty goes to his daughter, princess Eirika." Mark replied, somewhat frustrated that he was being pried for his secrets yet again.

King Hayden seemed to consider this for a few seconds. To send his best friend's daughter into the hands of the enemy with a man that he'd never even heard of was not a pleasant thought. However, he realized that if Eirika's father wanted this man to guide her on her journey, then he must have had Fado's trust, and that was enough for him.

"I'm sorry for the questioning. It's just that-" Hayden started.

"No need for apologies your highness, I've been getting this since we left the castle, and I can't imagine it'll stop soon." Mark interrupted.

Hayden was about to nod and let the matter drop, but something about Mark seemed… Strange to him. When the king finally realized what it was, he spoke up.

"Excuse me if this sounds strange, but is it possible that we've...Met before?" Hayden asked.

Panic flashed across Mark's face so fast that no one even managed to see it, but then his usual goofy grin re-appeared.

"Sorry your majesty, but I think I'd remember if I met the king of Frelia." Mark said, walking out of the room, with the group following closely behind. King Hayden stayed in the throne room for quite some time, trying to remember where he'd seen Mark before.

Later that night, while the rest of the group had gotten an early rest, Eirika had found that she could not sleep. She kept thinking about her family. Her father was dead, having sacrificed himself for both her life and for the life of Renais' citizens. Her brother was deep in enemy territory, fighting a war on his own. Eirika just felt so pathetic in comparison. Here she was, within a comfortable castle, relaxing while her people huddled in hiding and her brother fought tooth and nail so that his country could one day be at peace again.

After hours of insomnia, Eirika decided that some fresh air might help her get to sleep. She dressed herself back into her normal clothes, and walked down the castle's hallway, admiring the portraits of Frelia's past monarchs. As she ascended the staircase, Eirika noted that it was late. The moon had been out for quite some time, and Eirika guessed that it was about midnight. Upon reaching the parapets Eirika found, surprisingly, that she was not alone. Mark was also out of his bedroom, and he seemed to be leaning against the outer wall of the castle, looking over the capital. Curious as to why the tactician was out so late, Eirika approached him.

Hearing the sound of footsteps approaching, Mark whirled his head and smiled when he saw Eirika. "Evening princess." When she stepped into the light, Mark whistled. "Sorry for saying this princess, but you look like hell."

Eirika gave Mark a blank stare in response. "S-sorry, I didn't mean to imply- I mean- That is-" Mark frantically said, desperate to repair the damage that his big mouth had caused. However, while he was trying to recover, Eirika had started laughing. Mark looked at Eirika incredulously before grinning himself, seeing that everything was probably okay.

"Sorry, sorry." Eirika managed to gasp out between laughs. She wiped away a tear from her face, and then gave Mark the largest smile he had ever seen on Eirika. "It's just that no one has ever really talked to me like that before, and hearing you try to recover from it was just priceless." Eirika said, letting out a giggle.

Mark gave out a loud 'hmmph' sound, which just made Eirika laugh again. "Well, I see where this is going. Sorry princess, but the role of court jester appears to have already been taken by sir Franz's horse." Eirika laughed at the mention of the ornery beast, which had on several occasions barged into sir Seth's tent, taking whatever he could get his mouth around and galloping madly around the camp with it. When Seth asked Franz why the horse only targeted the general, Franz shrugged and replied 'he targets those that he finds too uptight' which had caused Seth to blush, and Mark to laugh hysterically.

Eirika fake-pouted. "Aww… But if you were my jester, then you'd never have to pretend to fight again!"

Mark laughed as his smile widened. "And I'd only be slightly less useless on the battlefield! Princess, I think you might be onto something…" Mark joked.

As their laughter started to die down, Eirika remembered what time it was, and again became curious of why Mark was on the parapets.

"As fun as this is Mark, I must ask: why are you still awake?" Eirika asked.

Mark rubbed the back of his head as he gave a sheepish grin. "Well, after I got a few more things sorted out for tomorrow's journey, I had one of king Hayden's generals give me a brief rundown of what they know about Grado's forces, so that we know what we're up against and what we can do to avoid them." Mark replied. "By the time that was done, I wanted to go for a walk, so here we are."

Eirika could tell that Mark was lying, but after knowing the man for a while, she knew that trying to get information out of him that he didn't want to share was an impossible task. She considered trying anyways, but before she could, Mark interrupted her thoughts.

"What about you princess? Why are you still up?" Mark asked.

"Just a bit of trouble sleeping. Nothing you need to concern yourself about." Eirika said, trying to dodge the question.

Mark frowned. "Well, my best fighter and leader is currently not getting enough sleep, so I'd say that it's pretty concerning.

Eirika let out a bitter laugh. "Please. I'm not your best fighter by a longshot."

"So that's what this is about." Mark muttered.

"I'm sorry?

"You're feeling inadequate, aren't you?" Mark asked.

"How did you-"

"I'd recognize those symptoms anywhere. To tell you the truth princess, yes. I do consider you my best fighter. Yes, sir Seth is better in combat then you are. Yes, sir Gilliam can take more hits. Yes, sir Franz can use both lances and swords, but do you know what? All of those men have trained their entire lives for fighting for their country. To be good at fighting was expected of them. But you princess? You lived the life of luxury your entire life, with your only priority being that you learn how to properly govern your country. But you went above and beyond that. You saw that one day, you might have to fight for your country as well. So you went out and learned. You didn't have time to go fight bandits like your knights did. You never had frontline experience. But the moment that your country came under attack, you were there. You valiantly defended your country alongside those who would have been perfectly happy to let you sit in the back and rest while they gave their lives to ensure your safety." Mark started.

"So that's why you're our best fighter, princess. Your knights are doing what is expected of them. You're going beyond what's expected of you. You have more motivation to fight, and that is what produces the best fighters, because those are the ones that take every mistake seriously, and they are the ones that try their hardest to improve." Mark yet again grinned at Eirika. "So no more feeling like you're not a good fighter, okay?"

Eirika smiled at Mark, happy to have been complimented in such a sincere matter. "Thank you Mark. It means a lot to me to hear you say that." She said. "Though that's not the entire reason why I haven't been resting as of late… I find that whenever I sleep, all I can think of is what Grado is doing to my homeland… I see what they did to Mulan in my sleep, only the faces of the dead citizens are replaced with my brother or my father… To go to sleep knowing that the dream I will have is that one makes it hard to convince myself to close my eyes."

The two of them were silent for a while, comprehending what the princess just said. Eirika was remembering the dream. In actuality, the people in her dream weren't just her father and brother, but also Seth and Franz, but to say that was to say to Mark that he didn't matter to her as much as the others, which just seemed rude after how Mark had cheered her up.

Mark looked down at his green cloak, and then shrugged it off of him and sat down on the flagstones. He folded up his cloak and placed it on his lap. He patted his coat. "Here. When my sister used to have nightmares, this would always help her." Mark said.

Eirika considered the idea of falling asleep on Mark's lap, and was too tired to realize the implications, simply lying down and letting her head rest on Mark's (extremely comfortable) cloak. Mark didn't seem to realise that having a woman lying on your lap was not a thing that two random people did, and was not in the least bit embarrassed by what was happening.

"I want one of these." Eirika muttered, causing Mark to laugh.

"Work for a king for three years. Maybe you'll get lucky like I did." Mark said.

As silence filled the air, Eirika started feeling her sleep deprivation kicking in, and she started yawning more and more frequently.

"Mark?" Eirika asked.

"Hmm?"

"How is this working?" She yawned.

Mark chuckled. "Not sure princess. Maybe I'm magic." He said. Eirika, too tired to chuckle, simply smiled.

"Could you *yawn* do something for me Mark?"

"Sure thing princess."

"Could you please stop *yawn* calling me princess? It just feels so… Forced coming from you. It feels wrong somehow." Eirika requested.

Mark paused for a second, and Eirika added in a "Please?" While looking up at him with tired eyes.

"Okay, that's not fair." Mark said, earning another smile from Eirika in retaliation. "Fine prin- Eirika." Mark corrected himself. "I promise to call you Eirika from here on out. Now sleep, okay? We wake up early tomorrow."

"Okay...Thank you Mark…" Eirika said, already drifting off to sleep.

After what must have been another half an hour, Mark shook Eirika a little bit to see if she was awake. When he discovered that she wasn't, Mark transported the sleeping princess to her room. Upon returning her, Mark headed down the hallway, but not towards his room as one would expect. Instead, Mark wandered back to the parapets. His nightmares were only getting worse by the day, and Mark didn't want to discover what they would hold for him that night. Sleep would have to wait.

 **A/N: So this one I went back and forth with a bit on, and I still don't know if I made the right decision. I think this is way too similar to the game, but I couldn't come up with anything better. What do you guys think? Anything that I can improve? Feedback is appreciated, especially since this is my first story.**

 **Also, for those of you who didn't guess it immediately, hopefully this chapter showed you that the main pairing is Eirika/Mark. If anyone cares about background ships, I've got almost all of them sorted out already, and I might post them in the author's note of next chapter.**


	4. The protected

The next day, Eirika awoke in her own bed, which surprised her, as she had not yet remembered everything that had happened the night before.

"Let's see… I walked out, walked on the castle walls… Talked to Mark, and then…" Eirika's face turned red as she realised that she fell asleep on Mark's lap. She must have been more tired than she had thought, but surprisingly, Eirika had no nightmares that night, so at least it had worked. Eirika looked herself over in the mirror and saw that she looked a lot more rested than she had the night before. Satisfied, she decided to try and find the rest of her group.

After wandering around the castle for some time, Eirika stumbled across Seth in one of the hallways.

"Ah, princess. Good to see you finally up and about. Follow me, the others are waiting outside of the castle walls." Seth said., and they both started walking towards the castle entrance.

"'Finally'? How long was I asleep for?" Eirika asked.

"Not too much longer than the rest of us, I believe. Franz just woke up about a half an hour ago, and when Mark told us that you needed rest, none of us questioned it. I was just about to wake you up myself, but it seems as if that wasn't necessary." Seth replied.

Eirika nodded. While she was upset that they were getting a later start to their day, she was glad that she had been given the opportunity to recover.

"Did Mark seem tired this morning?" Eirika asked, remembering that the man had stayed up even later than she had.

Seth shook his head. "Not particularly, why?"

"Well, I saw him as I was getting some fresh air last night, and I'm fairly sure that he fell asleep after I did."

"Princess, there is significantly less stress on our tactician than there is on you. You have lost your entire country, whereas his job has only just started getting difficult. It is likely that he was not as tired as you are."

Eirika nodded. "I guess that makes sense…" She muttered, although she was sure that there was something else involved.

Eventually, the two managed to make it to the front of the castle, where the rest of the group was waiting for them. In addition, there was now a small covered wagon with two horses to drag it.

"Good morning princess!" Vanessa cheerfully exclaimed. "Are you ready to go?"

"Good morning Vanessa, good morning everyone. Sorry for keeping you waiting for so long, but I believe that we are all ready to go now." Eirika said, obviously embarrassed by how she had held them all up.

"You're not the one holding us up now, milady. King Hayden came by and told Mark that he had something for him, but he should be back soon." Franz informed.

Suddenly, the sound of heavy breathing was heard, and the group turned to see Mark walking out of the castle, awkwardly carrying a heavy-looking chest in his arms. Seth walked over to the dark-haired man and helped him carry it to the covered wagon.

"Good morning Mark. What's in the chest?" Eirika asked.

Mark gritted his teeth in frustration. "Something that your father had left with king Hayden. I would prefer that we didn't even bring it with us, but since your father wanted us to have it, I figured we should acknowledge his wishes and do what he wanted."

Seth, trying to change the subject away from the late king, asked "What is in it? It looks like some form of weapon locker."

"That's exactly what it is, though king Hayden didn't have a key with him, so I doubt we'll be able to find out what's inside."

Seth frowned, but helped Mark heave the weapon locker into the back of the wagon.

"Where did the wagon come from, anyways?" Eirika asked. "Did king Hayden secure one for us to use?"

Mark shook his head. "Nah. I went out last night and bought one. I had a lot of money from the time that I worked for your father, so I used some of it on the wagon. I figured we'll need it."

Eirika smiled at Mark, grateful that the man used his own money to help her rescue her brother. "Thank you Mark, it means a lot to me that you're helping me with this."

"Not at all p-Eirika. I'm happy to help. Now then, shall we be off?" Mark asked. When everyone nodded their heads in response, Mark hopped onto the reigns of the wagon, and everyone else got on the mounts that king Hayden provided.

A heavy air was hanging over the group, as they all became aware of the seriousness of the task that was ahead of them. At Mark's orders, Vanessa would consistently take to the skies to scout out the surrounding area, though Mark had stated the odds of finding any opposition was unlikely. Mark had taken the rear while Seth had opted to lead the group. Having travelled for a majority of the day, Eirika currently found herself riding next to Mark, and seeing that they were both out of earshot of the others, decided to have a talk about the previous night.

"Mark?" Eirika asked, trying to get the man's attention.

"Yes Eirika?" mark replied, mentally fist-pumping that he'd finally gotten the hang of using her name instead of her title.

"Er...I was just wondering...About what happened last night."

"Oh, you mean when we talked on the castle walls?" Mark asked. "Oh wait! Do you want me to refer to you as your title after all? Sorry! I know you were tired, and you probably didn't mean-" Mark frantically stammered, but Eirika cut him off with a wave.

"Please, Mark. I meant what I said when I told you to call me by Eirika. I was referring to… How I fell asleep." Eirika said, cheeks reddening as the memory resurfaced.

Mark cocked his head to the side. "Really? What about it?"

Eirika looked Mark over. How could he not know? Did he not know? Surely a man as intelligent as Mark would be aware that such an act was reserved for those who were extremely close to each other, not for two random strangers.

"I mean… Wasn't it a little, I don't know, strange?" She finally asked.

"Really? But I've seen people do it all the time!" Mark exclaimed, shocked at this new revelation. Mark didn't realize it at the time, but every time he had seen someone fall asleep on someone else's lap, they had been either siblings or lovers. Mark was just hadn't put the two together.

However, Eirika didn't know what to do. The man was completely clueless as to the implications of what had transpired the previous night. Eirika was about to inform him, but then she remembered how comfortable she was… And then she realized the she MIGHT have nightmares again, and MAYBE it would help if she could sleep on Mark's lap… But Eirika snapped herself out of those thoughts. It was wrong for her to act in such a way! Or was it? Mark didn't seem to mind it, so as long as she didn't say anything- No! It's wrong to take advantage of someone else's ignorance!

But while Eirika was trying to compose herself, Mark tapped her on the shoulder. "You okay there, Eirika? You kind of spaced out for a bit."

Eirika's blush intensified. _Quick! Make up something!_ She thought to herself.

"Oh, it's nothing. I was just thinking that...It must have been strange for you to let someone other than your sister sleep on your lap!" Eirika lied, the part of her mind that believed that not telling Mark was for the best managed to react first.

Mark stared at Eirika, and came to a realisation: he was looking at the world's worst liar. Eirika was a twitching mess, her face was bright red, and Mark could have swore that he could see sweat falling from her forehead, but what Mark could not figure out for the life of him was what Eirika was lying about. Mentally shrugging, Mark replied "Okaaaaaaaaay, I mean, I guess that it wasn't what I'm used to, but it's been a few years since I helped my sister with her nightmares, so it's not like it's something I'm used to anyways... But if you find it strange, I could always lend my coat to sir Seth-"

"NO!" Eirika shouted, causing Mark to recoil in shock and nearly fall out of the wagon's seat. "Sorry, it's just… It would be extremely awkward if I did with Seth what I did with you last night.

Having recovered from Eirika's outburst, Mark frowned. "Really? I'd heard that you two were quite close. Did something happen between you two?" Mark asked.

Eirika paused. "It is not in my place to say. If you truly need to know, ask Seth yourself."

"Yeah, like he's going to tell me anything…" Mark muttered under his breath.

Eirika giggled. "That's rather hypocritical of you, wouldn't you say?"

Mark flashed his goofy grin back at the princess. "I guess it is, isn't it?"

The group found that they were approaching the end of the forest that they had been travelling through. Mark had mentioned that at the edge of the forest would be their first stop, which was the village of Ide.

"Vanessa, scout ahead and make sure the village is secure." Mark ordered.

Vanessa saluted from the back of her Pegasus. "Yes sir! I shall prove myself worthy of her highness' trust!" She shouted as she flew off.

"Um… Is she always so…" Mark trailed off.

"Sincere?" Eirika finished.

Moulder turned around to face them from his position. "Sincere would be one way of putting it, but yes. Vanessa is a very devoted person."

"I suppose that's a good thing…" Mark muttered.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the village, a group of tired-looking thugs were travelling over the mountain range, sneaking up on the unsuspecting town below.

"Boss! I think this village is right for the picking!" A man named Bone shouted.

"Finally! One, two, three.. Looks like our luck's turned around, lads! No soldiers defending these ones! Right, Bone - you're in charge. Take everything and bring it to the hideout." His boss, Bazba, shouted back.

Hearing this conversation was a young boy ran from his hiding spot as fast as he could back to his village where his father awaited him.

"Dad! Bandits approaching!" The boy shouted, stopping just short of barreling into his father.

"Hmm… I'm getting you out of here, Ross. Stay close to me." His father replied.

"But dad! We need to warn the others!" Ross exclaimed.

Suddenly, a blood-curdling scream followed by the sounds of walls being broken down could be heard, followed by the screams of hundreds of villagers.

"Consider them warned. Now move!"

As the two left their now-burning village, they failed to notice one of the bandits creeping up on them. Ross, hearing the sound of footsteps behind him, turned around almost too late.

"Dad! Watch out!" He shouted, pushing his dad out of the way. Ross brought his own axe down in retaliation, but not before the bandit managed to put a huge gash in Ross' leg.

"Ross!" Ross' father shouted, finishing off the bandit by swinging his own axe at the man's neck, almost severing his head in a single swipe. "Ross, are you okay?"

"Unggh!" Ross cried out in pain, though he tried to hide his pained expression. "I'm fine dad. You're a warrior, and I'm your son. I won't be beaten by a mere scratch."

His father shook his head. "This is no mere scratch son...We need to get you help. Please! Someone help my son!" The man shouted.

Unexpectedly, a pegasus knight landed only a few feet away. "Did someone say 'help'? I can take your son to safety, good sir. My fellow soldiers are just over the mountains, and we have a healer with us."

The father nodded. "Thank you so much miss. Take my son and go. I'll try and hold them off."

"Dad, no!" Ross shouted, but his father grabbed him and shoved him onto the back of the woman's pegasus, and it took flight.

"Godspeed, good sir." The woman said as she flew over the mountains with Ross.

"Look, I'm not saying that smoke is always a bad thing, it's just that when there's so much of it coming from such a far distance, it never means anything good." Mark stated.

Eirika frowned when she saw the pillars of smoke that Mark was referring to. "Where's Vanessa? Surely she should be back by now."

"Furthermore, weren't there supposed to be a group of knights deployed to all of the villages?" Seth asked.

Mark nodded. "Unfortunately, whether or not they stayed here after Renais fell is another matter altogether. Some knights might simply be too patriotic to stay at their posts while their country is overtaken by the enemy." Seth nodded in agreement at this statement.

"Indeed. We may find many villages like this one in our travels, where my fellow brothers-in-arms have abandoned their posts to try and avenge their king." Seth conceded.

Suddenly, the beating of pegasus wings attracted the attention of Eirika's group, and they all saw Vanessa descending towards their position, with a passenger riding on the back of her pegasus.

"Moulder, Vanessa's passenger is injured. Can you heal him?" Mark asked.

"Yes sir. I'll have him healed mere moments after he lands." Moulder stated, readying his staff.

"Your highness! I come with bad news! The-" Vanessa started to say.

"Hey, listen!" Ross said, trying to free himself from Moulder's grip.

"Stop moving boy, I'm trying to heal you!" Moulder exclaimed in frustration.

"My village is being pillaged by bandits! My name's Ross. Come on! You have to help me drive them off!" Ross exclaimed, finally staying still so he could be healed by Moulder.

"Alright, just… Take a deep breath and calm down Ross. Leave the villagers to us. Sir Seth, take this boy somewhere safe and circle around to meet us." Mark ordered.

"No! I'm going to fight too!" Ross shouted.

"But…" Eirika started to say, before Mark cut her off.

"Look kid, I can tell that you're not going to change your mind." Ross nodded at this. "We can't spare the manpower to watch over you either." He looked at Seth, who nodded. "So, I've got a deal for you: so long as father Moulder over there can heal you without any serious injuries, you can fight with us, but if he says you can't fight, then you don't. Got it?" Mark said.

Ross paused, and then reluctantly nodded, and looked over at Moulder expectantly. Moulder sighed. "It'll take me another minute or so, but I don't think he'll have any injuries that hinder him in battle." Moulder admitted.

Ross grinned at Moulder. "Thanks old man." He said, which caused Moulder to huff indignantly.

"Alright everyone, listen up!" Mark started.

"I'm not that old…" Moulder muttered under his breath.

"I'm going to go to the village to the northwest to notify the town of the bandit problem and rest the wagon. Franz, I want you to warn the village directly north of us. Vanessa, pick Ross' father from over the mountain range. Ross, convince him to help us when he gets here."

"Barely a day over forty five…" Moulder continued muttering.

"Meanwhile, I want everyone else, led by Seth and Gilliam, to get ahold of the chokepoint fortress up ahead. I want Eirika on rearguard in case any bandits come up from behind. Ross, you and your father will approach with Vanessa when you're done."

"Brat doesn't even know what he's talking about…"

"If I'm not back by then, Seth will secure the southern village with Eirika while Gilliam, Franz, Ross, and Vanessa hold the chokepoint. Everyone clear?" When no one objected, Mark sighed. "Evidently not, or else father Moulder would have spoken up by now. Father Moulder!" Mark exclaimed, which caused everyone to look at Moulder and for Moulder to stop muttering and look at their tactician. "I know that you're insecure about your age, but I'm going to have to ask you to put up with us young'uns and ride pillion with sir Franz. Is that okay with you?" Moulder nodded, embarrassed that he had been heard.

By the time that Mark managed to get his wagon parked in the village, the sounds of battle had already started, and Mark's warning to the villages had already spread like wildfire, with most of them retreating indoors, while others boarded up the village gate. Mark casually walked up to the village walls, where he saw a blonde-haired woman looking out over the mountain pass. Mark was about to jump to a tree from the wall when the woman held out a hand to stop him.

"What on earth are you doing?! What could possess you to jump from this height?" The woman asked.

Mark laughed. "Lady, I was just going to jump onto that tree. I'm the tactician for a group that's driving these bandits off, so they're going to need me. I didn't expect the villagers to move so fast when I gave them my warning, so I'm improvising. Can I go?" Mark asked.

The woman looked him up and down. "Not yet. You seem… Familiar somehow."

 _Ugh. Not this again._ Mark thought to himself, before he noticed the woman straighten up.

"Now I know where I remember seeing you! Emperor Vigarde told told us that you would be our ally!"

Mark recoiled at this statement. He had genuinely no idea why emperor Vigarde would even be aware of his existence, let alone why he would consider Mark to be an ally of Grado.

"I'm sorry, but either you're thinking of someone else, or you're mistaken. I don't work for Grado, and I don't think I ever will." Mark replied.

"Ah, perhaps it is that you feel as if you can't trust me, is that it?" The woman asked.

"No that's not-"

"I am Selena, a general in Grado's army, also known as the fluorspar." Selena said.

Mark froze. The Grado generals were known for being extremely deadly soldiers. He couldn't let her know that Eirika was here, or else she might try and fight them, which Mark doubted the others were prepared for.

"Look lady, I'm not going to work for Grado. I don't know why your emperor thought that I would. After all that he's done, I'm surprised you even follow him anymore." Selena bristled at this, but said nothing in response. "I mean, how many villages like the one over the mountains do you think there are? Villages that are razed to the ground because bandits found them undefended by the soldiers that used to keep the citizens safe?" Mark continued.

"I can see what you're trying to do, and it won't work. Emperor Vigarde is a kind man, and I will follow him to the end. Nothing you can say will convince me otherwise. Now, the king has claimed that you will be an ally. As such, I must request that you come with me, or else I will take you by force to the capital." Selena stated, frowning at the raven-haired man.

Mark laughed, which surprised Selena, but only made her glare even more menacingly at the man. "Oh, that's priceless." Mark said. "Tell me general. Did the emperor happen to tell you what I'm capable of?" Mark asked, still grinning like crazy.

Selena hesitated, trying to remember exactly what it was that the emperor had told her about the man. "Yes." She said.

Suddenly, Mark's grin turned into something much more feral, more akin to what a predator would give just before killing its prey. "Then what exactly did he say your chances against me were like?" Mark asked, his tone implying that he already knew the answer.

Selena froze. She didn't remember the man's name, yet of what the man was capable of, she could remember very clearly. She paled when she saw the man's face, and also remembered that her emperor had marked the man as 'do not engage' when giving out the orders to find the tactician.

"Very well. I suppose I could let you leave for now. I will give a report to the emperor on your location, but since you are helping these villagers, I shall not tell him in what direction you are headed. Do not make me regret this decision." Selena stated, regaining her composure.

Mark's smile turned back to his trademark goofy grin. "Fine by me. I imagine I'll see you around, general."

As Mark started to climb over the wall again, he froze, remembering something. "General, one last question before I go."

"Yes?" Selena replied.

"To whom do your loyalties lie with? The emperor, or the people?"

Selena cocked her head at the question, wondering why the tactician considered the two to be separate choices. "I serve both with my life."

"And if they were to become mutually exclusive choices?" Mark asked.

Selena thought about this for a second. "I imagine I would serve the people first, but why do you ask me this?" Selena inquired.

"No reason. Just the ramblings of a madman." Mark replied, quickly descending the tree. When he reached the bottom, he grimaced.

 _Hopefully she'll keep to that...I pray that I'm wrong about the true nature of this war, but there's too much pointing at something far worse than a country's simple greed. And if Vigarde thinks I'm an ally, that could mean… No, that's just speculation. No point worrying just yet._ Mark thought to himself, running off to assist the others.

Meanwhile, Eirika and Seth were heading back from the southern village in silence. They had already dispatched a majority of the bandits while they were at the chokepoint, and now all that was left to do was to meet up with the others. The two had not talked to each other outside of formal conversation in some time, though they both knew that neither of them were at fault for that.

"So, sir Seth...How have you been?" Eirika asked awkwardly.

"Please princess. Don't try to talk to me for my sake. I know it is my fault that we no longer talk, but I do not want to force you to talk to me." Seth replied somewhat coldly.

"But it's not your fault! If anything, it's mine. We used to be such good friends! You used to be my only friend besides Tana and Lyon! But now…Now we don't talk anymore, and I just don't know what to do."

Seth shook his head. "I apologize princess, but now is not the time nor the place. We must return to the others with all due haste." Seth said, riding out ahead of Eirika to the fortress.

Eirika sighed, shaking her head as Seth rode out of sight. She wanted her friend back. Why did it have to be so hard to do so?

At the fortress, Mark had already arrived and been informed by the others that Seth and Eirika were likely on their way back. However, when Mark saw Seth riding by himself with a grim expression on his face, alarm bells started going off in Mark's head. It was only when he saw Eirika approaching behind Seth that his alarm started turning into confusion. Once Eirika was close by, he approached her.

"What happened? Both you and Seth look so...Down." Mark asked.

Eirika suddenly had an idea. Mark and Seth were somewhat close, so maybe he could talk to Seth! The man did seem to have a knack for getting people to open up to him.

"Nothing that I can talk about. But Mark, would you mind talking to Seth about it later? I would consider it a great favor to me if you did." Eirika requested.

Mark thought about it. While it was true that he did have conversations with Seth from time to time, he still had yet to earn the paladin's full trust. But Eirika seemed desperate, so Mark figured that it couldn't hurt to try.

"Eh. Why not. I'll see what I can do, Eirika." Mark replied, causing Eirika to smile.

Turning to the others, he found that Moulder was busy healing Franz while Ross was conversing with a man that Mark didn't recognize, but he assumed that it was the boy's father.

"Alright, listen up everyone! We've got the rest of the bandits backed into a corner, so this next part should be easy. That doesn't mean that you should get cocky though, so pay attention." Mark stated. Getting affirmative nods from everyone, he continued. "Now, from what Vanessa has told me, it seems as if the leader of the group is in what remains of Ross' village." Ross grit his teeth at that statement, obviously wanting some form of revenge.

"So here's how this is going to work. Seth, Gilliam, and Eirika will lead the charge, mostly because I'm pretty sure Eirika's going to slap me if I put her as rearguard anymore." This caused a couple of people to laugh, while Eirika gave him a look that told him that a slap would mean that he got off lightly. "Ross and… Ross' father will be behind them, since both of you have ranged weapons. Moulder will continue to ride pillion with Franz, Vanessa will scout the nearby mountains in case any bandits try to take us by surprise, and I'll be rearguard this time. Any questions?" when everyone shook their heads, Mark gave the order to break, and everyone got into their positions.

Mark soon discovered that such organization was inevitably pointless, as the bandits were outnumbered, and perhaps more to the point, spread out and disorganized. While Mark's group rode out as a single unit, the bandits seemed to be content with crashing themselves into them with reckless abandon. Mark couldn't help but wonder just how exactly anyone thought it would be a good idea to take on a group of heavily-equipped soldiers by themselves.

Then Mark realized that he was dealing with bandits, and he didn't care anymore. Bandits could do whatever they wanted, so long as they were dead by the end of Mark's dealings with them.

Soon after, they came across a man who was huddled over the remains of a house, seemingly digging through it to look for something.

"You're the leader of these bandits!" Ross yelled out, informing the bandit of their presence. As the man in question looked up, his eyes went wide as he realised just how many people had managed to sneak up on him.

"What, me? No, there must be some kind of mistake here…" The man said, slowly backing away from the group.

Ross, deciding that he had had enough of the man, roared and charged out of formation, axe held high as it descended towards the bandit, but the leader managed to block the attack just in time and push Ross back with his superior strength.

"Look kid, I don't know who you think you are, but no one challenges me and lives." The man growled.

As the fight between the two intensified, Mark started to step forwards, before Ross' father put a hand out in front of him to keep him back. "Let my son handle this. He wants this fight." The father said.

"What? That's stupid." Mark replied, incredulous that they weren't helping Ross fight.

Seth shook his head. "I agree with Ross' father. This is obviously the boy's fight."

Mark turned to Eirika, hoping that she would back him up, but she averted her eyes from him. "Sorry Mark, but I agree."

And so Mark stayed at the back, grumbling to himself while he watched Ross fight the bandit leader. Unfortunately for Ross, his fighting style seemed to rely on his superior strength, which he didn't have in this situation. Luckily, the bandit leader's fighting style seemed to be to just swing randomly and hope that he hit something, which gave Ross a lot of openings to work with. However, one lucky hit cut deep into Ross' chest and knocked him onto the ground, bleeding but still holding onto his hatchet.

"Any last words brat?" The bandit leader asked, a feral grin plastered on his face as he stood over Ross, letting out heavy breaths from the exertion of fighting.

However, before Ross could say anything or react, the man felt a sharp pain emitted from his chest. Looking down, the bandit leader saw a javelin protruding out of his chest. He let out a weak gasp of pain before falling face-first next to Ross. Behind the man, Vanessa was starting to land. She saluted the bewildered onlookers. "All enemies dispatched, and the area is now secure." She said.

Eirika was the first to regain her composure. "Vanessa, not that I'm complaining, but why did you do that?"

Vanessa had a confused look on her face. "Huh? I thought you ordered it."

"No, that was me. Good job, Vanessa." Mark replied. Everyone turned their attention to Mark, even Ross, who was being healed by Moulder. "What? I'll let him have his little one-on-one time, but I draw the line when he's about to get killed!" Mark exclaimed.

"Sir tactician, it is dishonorable to disrupt a duel-" Seth started.

"A DUEL?! You thought this was a freaking DUEL?! Seth, if any of that guy's friends were still alive, we'd be fighting them as well! They're bandits! Your sense of 'honor' will only get you killed with them!" Mark shouted. When Seth looked like he was getting angry, Mark let out a sigh. "Look sir Seth, I know that honor is a big deal to you. Fine. Keep it. But my job is to keep you all safe. If your honor is hurting that effort, then I'm going to ignore it every. Single. Time." Mark said.

Seth reluctantly nodded his head. "Very well tactician. I do not like it, but I will swallow my pride for the good of us all."

Mark clapped his hands together. "Excellent! Now, let's see if we can get some hospitality for the night at that southern village." Mark said.

Eventually, Mark was able to find an inn that the entire group could stay at for the night. After returning with the wagon, Mark came across Ross, Seth, and Eirika talking to Ross' father. "I'm done with armies. I'm done with fighting, except to protect my son. I've no regrets. I'm the boy's father." Ross' dad said.

"Oh boy…" Mark said, seeing Ross get riled up.

"You...You blasted fool! What's all this nonsense I'm hearing?!" Ross shouted at his father.

"Ross?" Ross' father exclaimed, clearly puzzled as to why his own son was upset with him.

"If you're not going, then I will! I'm a fighter! I know I can do this!"

"Ross, what are you saying? I…" Ross' dad trailed off.

"Dad, please! Listen to me! I respect you more than any other man in the world. I know you gave up being a soldier for me. I know that! But how can you throw away such a big part of yourself? You're a warrior at heart! You can't give that up and be happy!" Ross replied, clearly upset.

Garcia was silent for a few moments before he sighed.

"Just as stubborn as your mother. Alright. Sir Seth, princess Eirika… If these old bones can help your cause, then please, let me serve you." Ross' father said.

"Thank you sir Garcia. It would be an honor to have you fighting by our side." Eirika replied, smiling.

Ross and his father, whom Mark had been inadvertently introduced to, wandered off to talk further, while Mark approached the other two.

"Well, if that's everything, I've secured some rooms for us at the inn." Mark replied, happy that he would be able to sleep in a bed that night rather than the ground as he had expected.

Seth shook his head. "I'm afraid not Mark. We must depart at once." Seth said.

Mark's jaw dropped so slightly, causing Eirika to giggle. "What?! Are you kidding me Seth? It's almost night! Why do we have to leave so quickly?"

Eirika rolled her eyes. "Some thief stole my bracelet, and sir Seth is determined to get it back." She replied.

Mark's face turned into one of confusion as he turned to Seth. "A bracelet? We're getting sidetracked, potentially endangering prince Ephraim, missing out on the opportunity to sleep in a bed and under a roof, potentially exhausting our troops… For a bracelet." Mark stated, making sure that he'd heard correctly.

Seth nodded. Mark read his face, and could see that Seth was absolutely serious about this course of action. Gears were turning in Mark's head, and suddenly he came to the realisation as to why Seth was so adamant about this course of action.

"I see. I'll notify the troops immediately, and cancel our rooms at the inn. I'll meet you by the village entrance in ten minutes." Mark stated, heading off to gather up the others.

Eirika and Seth blinked in disbelief. Mark had turned from being completely against the idea to actively helping it, which was enough to cause Seth to become suspicious again, though he figured that he would be able to get Mark to explain himself when they ended up camping for the night.

As it turned out, Seth was correct. Both he and Mark had been assigned to the first shift of the night watch, which provided him an excellent opportunity to talk with the man. That was, assuming that the tactician was even willing to talk.

"Tactician?" Seth asked.

"Yes, sir Seth?" Mark asked, not turning away from the fire.

"Why did you agree to find Eirika's bracelet so quickly?"

Mark paused for a second, realising that this was also an opportunity to ask about what had happened today.

"Tell you what Seth. I'll tell you the truth, but I want an answer to my question as well, okay?" Mark asked.

Seth furrowed his brows together. "I hardly think that you are in a position to make demands, tactician, but so long as I find your question to not be too incriminating, I will answer."

Mark nodded, satisfied with Seth's answer. "Alright. Simply put, I know that the bracelet is vital to Renais' sacred stone." Seth stiffened and reached for his sword. "At ease. Let me tell you how I know." Seth relaxed a bit, but his hand was still on the hilt of his weapon. "Better, I guess." Mark mumbled. "You see, the last piece of advice I gave was for him to tell you where the real sacred stone was, since his majesty had already revealed that the one in the throne room was a fake." That was technically true. Mark was really only guessing when he had talked to king Fado that day. "Now, since I knew that, it wasn't too big of a leap to imagine that the bracelet plays a role in that. I mean, come on. To go out of our way for a piece of jewelry? That's a bit ridiculous." At this, Seth grudgingly nodded, acknowledging that Mark's story seemed truthful. He had been told the secret of the sacred stone on the same morning that Renais had fallen. He was thankful that no one else in their group had guessed at the true purpose of the bracelet, and in all honesty, Seth had imagined that he would have to reveal it eventually, but he wanted to at least tell the princess before anyone else knew, but that was now impossible.

"You are correct as always, tactician." Seth said, gritting his teeth.

Mark laughed. "I don't know about 'always', but it's good to know that someone thinks that highly of me. Anyways, can I have my question now?" Mark asked. Seeing Seth slowly nod, Mark continued. "What happened between you and Eirika? I could tell today that something was up, but Eirika told me before that it wasn't her place to say, and that I should ask you. So please, I'd like to know what's going on."

Seth stiffened. He really didn't want to talk about that right now. Then again, he supposed that he didn't really ever want to talk about it, but Mark had the right to know, and Eirika was gratefully allowing Seth to explain.

Eventually realizing that he would have to tell Mark eventually, he sighed. "I will tell you, but none of this is to be repeated to anyone, including the princess. Understood?" Seth asked through clenched teeth. Mark nodded. "Thank you. As you had previously pointed out, I was good friends with the princess for several years, since early in my knighthood. Initially I was very formal with her, but the princess has a way of making you feel more comfortable around her, and I found myself more and more drawn to her presence. We became good friends, and I prided myself in being one of the princess' closest companions." Seth said, smiling at the good memories. "But that wasn't enough for me. One day, I came to realize that I had fallen in love with the princess. I ignored these feelings at first, trying to convince myself that as a knight, I could never be with her, as I was below her station." Seth paused, obviously trying to find the right words. "Then...I decided that none of that mattered. That even though I was beneath her in station, I had to let her know. She was one of my only friends, and she deserved to know how I felt about her. So one day… I did. I told her how I felt."

When Mark saw that Seth was no longer talking, he spoke up. "...And?"

Seth let out a deep breath. "And she did not feel the same. She apologized profusely, but told me that she thought of me as a friend, and nothing more. It broke me. I could not look at Eirika the same way, and to have lost such a friendship just because of my own selfishness hardened me. I know that Eirika desires my friendship again, but I cannot give it. Every time I look at her… It hurts, knowing what I did." Seth said.

Silence filled the air, before Mark spoke up. "Seth, I'm only going to say this once, so I need you to listen to me very carefully. What you're doing? It's hurting Eirika. She's barely had any friends her entire life, and you're one of the few. If you truly feel bad for what you've done, then what you need to do is fix it. Fix the relationship you've had with her. Eirika will be ecstatic. Tell her what's bothering you, and she'll help. Let her know when you need space, and she'll give it. But keeping all your emotions bottled up in here?" Mark said, pointing at his heart. "Is only going to make things worse." Mark finished.

Seth stayed silent, a tear threatening to fall down the normally stoic knight's face. "That's...Good advice. Thank you...Mark. If you don't mind me asking, do you know that this works from experience?" Seth asked, slyly trying to find out more about Mark.

Mark gave a sad smile. "Sorry Seth, but I'm not sure that this will work. In fact, I've never really felt the way you have about anyone before. Guess I just haven't found the right girl…" Mark conceded.

There was a silence between the two before Seth broke it. "Is it true? The old saying?"

"What old saying?" Mark asked.

"'It is better to have loved and lost, than never to have loved at all'. Is it true? Would it have been better if I had never fallen in love with the princess?"

Mark tilted his head. "That's a strange application of that saying… Though I suppose it might still be accurate. I'm not sure how much pain you're going though, sir Seth. Like I've said, I've never really felt it. But yet… I want to. So badly. It feels like I'm all alone sometimes, like I'm missing a part of me. When I think about it like that, It's hard for me to think that the alternative could be any worse. To know someone will be there for you, no matter what… That's something that I desire above all else." He gave a smile at Seth could tell was incredibly forced. "But hey, no worries. When this is all over, I'll travel the world to find the one for me." He gave a sad laugh. "Ah. I sound like one of my old comrades…" He trailed off.

The rest of the night was filled in silence, as both of the men thought of what could have been, and what was still to come, of both of their lives.

 **A/N: Hey again! So, you might be wondering why I've been able to get these out so quickly. Quite simply put, I know that this is the best time I'm going to have to write this thing. College starts for me pretty soon, so I don't know how busy I'm going to get, or if I'm even going to be able to write at all in the coming few weeks, so I want to get you guys as much content as possible.**

 **That being said, I doubt I'll be able to get the next chapter up anytime soon, but I'll try.**

 **So, I've been getting some PM's with theories about Mark's past, and I'm enjoying reading them. I've been dropping hints here and there, and I'd be genuinely interested in hearing people's ideas as to what happened to Mark before this story.**

 **However, I probably won't reveal anything even if you message me, so don't expect that. I'm not revealing Mark's past for a VERY long time.**


	5. Bandits of Borgo

After a short night's sleep, the group was prepared to continue marching towards the bandit's hideout. As they were marching, Mark saw Eirika and Seth conversing freely, which put a smile on his face. It was nice to see that Seth was at least trying to rekindle the friendship that he had with the princess of Renais. The party was heading towards where they suspected the thief had gone, since the villagers had reported hearing of bandit attacks originating from a village near their location. All of them were riding relatively closely, though Eirika and Seth were marching ahead of the rest of the group out of earshot, likely to keep their conversation private.

"So sir Mark, if you don't mind my asking, how did you get recruited by king Fado?" Vanessa, who had been ordered to stay near the ground, asked Mark.

Mark was currently riding alongside Franz and Vanessa, making up the middle of the small group, though not intentionally. The only reason why Moulder, Ross, Garcia, and Gilliam weren't riding with them was because they were being slow.

"Well, my sister and I used to be a part of a small group of fighters. We acted as the tacticians for the group for a while, and we got decently famous. Eventually, the group and I parted ways, and the king jumped on the opportunity to recruit me." Mark explained.

"Really? You're famous?" Franz asked, deciding to join the conversation.

Mark shook his head. "Not really. We just had a pretty high success rate. I'd honestly be impressed if anyone from around here had heard of me."

"'Around here'? Are you not from Renais?" Vanessa asked.

"Nope. I'm not even from Magvel. I came here after parting ways with my group, and I practically hired upon reaching the shores."

Vanessa looked confused. "Why would you leave your group? You just said yourself that your sister was with them, and that you had achieved some small fame. Surely you would want to stay with such a group."

"Well, we had just finished a pretty long mission, and tensions were starting to run high between myself and a lot of the other members. It didn't help that at the end of the mission, we suffered our first and only casualty." He frowned. "We'd never really lost someone until then."

Franz recoiled in shock. "You've only ever lost one person?! I see why his majesty hired you. You must be quite the skilled tactician!"

Mark gave a laugh at that. "Truth be told, that was mostly my sister's doing. Like I told Eirika, she's a much better tactician than I am. I helped from time to time, but the only reason why I was a member as long as I had been was because my sister was in charge of the budget." Mark sighed. "She's kind of hard to live up to at times. I have no doubt that, given the choice between the two of us, king Fado would have chosen her every time."

Franz frowned. "Mark, I know the feeling of comparing yourself to an older sibling, but you can't put yourself down like that."

Mark shook his head. "It's true. Whenever we'd do any war simulations, she'd beat me 7 times out of 8. I'd know. I kept track."

Franz scratched his head. "But still, from what I've seen, you seem very capable yourself."

Mark shrugged. "I guess. It's just not easy living in someone else's shadow, especially now that I don't talk to her anymore. I don't know if I've caught up to her, or if she's even better, or if I've gotten worse. I know it's not a healthy way to think, and I'm starting to get away from that mindset, but… It's not easy."

Franz was about to say something, but Vanessa seemed to want to change the subject. "How old are you anyways sir Mark? You've been implying that you have a lot of experience, but you look so young." She asked, curious as to how the young-looking tactician in front of her landed as prestigious a job as the royal tactician.

"I'm 25. And could you stop calling me 'sir'? I don't hold any official positions anymore." Mark said, grimacing at the pegasus knights formality.

Vanessa cocked her head. "But aren't you still the royal tactician?" Vanessa asked.

Mark shook his head. "The king dismissed me after his last order. Said I could do whatever I wanted after I escorted Eirika, but against my better judgement, I decided to stay with her. Even if I'm not the best tactician, I can still give our enemies a run for their money." Mark said, grinning.

Vanessa nodded, and was about to ask more, when they heard a voice from the trees.

"Uh...Hello?" A quiet voice said.

The trio whirled their heads to face the new voice. At the treeline was a small girl with pink hair was standing there, timidly holding a bow in her hands, though she didn't have an arrow nocked, so Vanessa and Franz didn't grab their weapons.

"A-Are you some kind of… Mercenary group?" The girl asked.

Mark gave the girl an inquisitive look. "Not really, but why do you ask?"

"W-w-well… Whatever you are, you have to help me! My friend, Colm, h-he's in danger! I tried to stop him, but he wouldn't listen!" The girl exclaimed frantically.

"Whoa, slow down there miss. Tell us where your friend's gone and we'll help." Mark promised.

"S-sorry. My name is Neimi. I'm from… I used to be from a village named Lark… But my village is… Gone now." Neimi explained.

Mark's eyes widened at the news. "What? Lark's gone?! How? There should have been soldiers there to protect the town!" Mark exclaimed.

Neimi looked at the ground. "W-well… Bazba's bandits came. They had very large numbers, and we couldn't hold them for very long… *sniff* Colm and I are the only ones left. Please… Save him. He went to steal something back for me from the bandits and I-I couldn't bear it if something happened to him…" Neimi said, and it was obvious to the trio that Neimi had been crying for quite some time, and indeed, was still crying. The girl's eyes were red, and there were trails of tears streaming down her face.

Mark nodded. "Don't worry, Neimi, we'll get your friend back. Honestly, we're already after Bazba, so we'll keep an eye out for your friend while we're there."

Neimi perked up at Mark's words. "R-really?!" She exclaimed. When Mark nodded, Neimi started crying again, but it looked like tears of joy. "I...I don't have any money, but I'll help in any way I can! I used to go hunting with my grandfather and… What I mean to say is… I'm not bad with a bow."

Mark's eyes wandered up and down Neimi, seemingly sizing up her combat abilities. He rubbed his chin thoughtfully, and then waved Neimi over. "Get on the wagon. I'll go introduce you to our leader." Mark said. Neimi nodded, wiped her face of tears, and got on the wagon next to Mark.

Vanessa and Franz continued on behind Mark, and once Franz saw that Mark was busy introducing Neimi to Eirika and Seth, he turned to Vanessa.

"Why did you change the subject back there? Mark doesn't open up to us very often, and this was a rare chance for us to learn about him." Franz inquired.

Vanessa continued to look forwards, but her normally straight expression turned into a frown. "Couldn't you see that talking about his sister was painful for him?" Vanessa asked.

Franz blinked a few times, and then tilted his head in recollection. "Not really. He seemed fine talking about her." When Vanessa stayed silent, Franz continued. "I take it you thought differently?" Franz asked.

Vanessa gave a quick nod. "I'm almost certain. The look in his eyes… I don't know what it meant, but I do know that it was filled with sadness. Something about his sister is the cause of a great deal of pain in our tactician. Until we figure out what it is, we should inform everyone that it might be a sore subject for him." Vanessa noted.

Franz contemplated this. He hadn't noticed Mark acting strangely, but then again, he might have been a bit overzealous to try to get information out of Mark. He had to admit, he was curious about the new tactician, but it seemed as if both Eirika and Seth had backed off on their interrogations, so Franz was starting to give the man some space, albeit reluctantly.

At that moment, Franz and Vanessa had caught up with the leaders of their group, whereupon they came to a clearing that revealed the bandit's location, or at least according to the information they had received from the villagers. An old fortress at the top of the hill. Mark had initially expected to encounter a tough fight, but now he wasn't so sure.

"You've got to be kidding me." Mark said, clearly exasperated.

"What's wrong Mark?" Eirika asked.

Mark sighed. "Nothing's wrong, actually. In fact, this is great for us. It's just that I've spent the last day or so planning out how we're going to attack this place, when in all likelihood we could just casually stroll in, kill all the bandits, take the bracelet, and stroll back out with no trouble."

"Really? What makes you say that? I'll agree that the fort doesn't look in the best shape, but…" Eirika trailed off.

"But nothing. There's no guards on the watch towers, which means that they're either understaffed or undisciplined." Mark said, pointing to the towers just outside the fort's walls. "There's no one guarding the side entrance, which means they're not well-prepared." He said, motioning to an overgrown archway, almost completely hidden from an unobservant eye. "And to top it all off, the walls are in awful shape. We could probably break them down with ease."

Eirika's expression lightened up at that. "That's great! From your words, it sounded as if we would have been unable to do this. But how can we be sure that the bandits are even there?"

"Well, honestly I was just surprised that bandits this glaringly incompetent were able to best our soldiers, but if they had enough numbers, I suppose anything's possible." Mark said. "And in regards to your second question, the torches are lit on the front entrance, and I'd be willing to bet that if we stayed here long enough, we'd see movement around there as well. If we hit them from the side entrance, we should be able to get in, get the bracelet, rescue Neimi's friend, and get out. Ross, Garcia, I'm going to need you two to chop away at the foliage to clear us a path inside. Sound good?" Seeing their nods of approval, the small group circled around to the side and proceeded to cut their way through the side entrance.

Standing near the front entrance, with his back to the group, was a very bored-looking bandit. Mark held up a hand for everyone to hold position, and then moved next to Neimi.

"Neimi. Can you take out that guard from here?" Mark asked.

Neimi gave a nervous nod, and raised her bow, arrow already nocked. Her hands were shaking, Mark realized too late that Neimi had probably never killed a man before. He raised his hands to stop Neimi, but she had already let loose the arrow. Unfortunately, with the way that her hands were shaking, the bandit didn't die, and he let out a loud yell of pain, likely alerting every bandit in the fortress. Mark cursed internally.

"Ross, finish that guy off. Moulder, stay here until I say otherwise. Everyone else, advance into the fortress, Neimi, make sure you're behind someone at all times." Everyone nodded their affirmation, and they went off, leaving Mark, Moulder, and Ross behind.

Deeper in the fortress, a blue-haired thief was carefully undoing the lock of a chest, taking great care to not alert the bandit that was already inside of his presence. When he heard a small 'click', he flinched, however it appeared as if the bandit in the room was focusing more on the door that the sounds of combat were coming from, so the thief sorted through the chest that he had just opened, his fingers wrapping delicately around a small ornate mirror.

 _There it is._ The thief thought to himself. _Now to take a little extra from these dastards._

Just as the thief was about to move on to another chest full of ill-gotten gains, the door to the room burst open and an axe flew through the now-open space and embedded itself in the bandit's skull, killing him instantly. A middle-aged man with large muscles and an imposing axe walked through the door, picking up his hand axe from the dead man's face. He scanned the room, and stopped when his eyesight landed on the thief. He started to draw back his axe to throw, but he stopped when he felt someone tap his back. He turned around, and revealed to the thief a familiar pink-haired girl.

"C-colm…" Neimi stuttered.

Colm's face turned to one of bewilderment, and the large man grunted and stepped out of the room, sensing that the two needed some privacy.

"Neimi?! What are you doing here? I told you to stay back, didn't I?"

"I-I couldn't… It's too dangerous. We have to go."

"Go where, Neimi? Our home's gone! Look, just leave everything to me. I can take care of it in a flash, but you'll just slow me down."

"But… but…" Neimi started, eyes misting up and threatening to start letting tears out yet again.

Colm sighed. He had a weakness to Neimi when she cried, and he was pretty sure that she knew that and used it against him. "Oh, this is ridiculous. We'll talk later. Don't leave my side Neimi." Colm ordered.

Neimi nodded in affirmation, sniffing and wiping her eyes. "Okay, good. Now, I need privacy while I work, so I'd like you to be my lookout, okay?"

Neimi smiled and nodded, and proceeded to move in front of the doorway, keeping an eye out for any intruders. Upon leaving the room, she spotted Eirika and Mark conversing in the hallway.

"See? I told you it would be easy." Mark commented.

Eirika shook her head. "I just can't believe it was over so fast! I didn't even **see** Bazba when he was alive!"

Mark scratched the back of his head. "Me neither. I guess Seth really wanted that bracelet. Speaking of which, has anyone found it yet?"

"No, but we're looking."

Mark nodded, and turned his head. Spotting Neimi, he found it curious that she was simply standing in front of a doorway.

"Neimi, what are you doing?" Mark asked.

"I found my friend! He's inside here, going through the bandit's chests." Neimi replied, obviously very happy that she had been reunited with Colm.

Mark cocked his head. "Really? I didn't think these bandits would be foolish enough to leave their valuables just lying around."

"N-no, Colm's… unlocking them. He's g-good at it." Neimi said, switching back to her nervous personality for whatever reason.

Suddenly, Mark came to a realisation. "Excuse me, Eirika, but I need to go get your bracelet." Mark said, pushing past Neimi into the room beyond.

"W-wait! Colm said he needed privacy to do his work!" Neimi shouted, but Mark ignored her protests.

Seeing the blue-haired man look up at him while picking the lock of a chest was all the evidence Mark needed to prove his theory.

"As nice as it is to reunite Neimi, I believe you have something that belongs to princess Eirika." Mark stated.

"W-what? What are you implying? As if I would ever-" He was cut off as Mark shoved his hand into one of Colm's cloak pockets. Colm resisted a little bit, but Mark came out with the object that he was looking for, and he gave Colm a dirty look.

"Er, okay. You got me there. But in my defence, I didn't know that she was the princess! I thought she was some mercenary!" He shouted as Mark left the room.

As Mark exited the room, he heard the distant cry of Neimi shouting "You stole from the princess?!" in the background.

Mark approached the princess, who was busy talking to Seth. "Eirika, I found it." Mark said, as he approached the duo, throwing the bracelet at Eirika, who had just barely enough time to catch the piece of jewelry.

"Thank you Mark! Where did you find it?" She asked.

"Oh, Neimi's friend Colm is the one that stole it from you. I took it back."

"I see… How did you figure that out?"

"Well, the bandits we encountered here weren't the kind that would have the capability to steal from people that are still alive, so I figure that our thief wasn't one of them. When I heard that Neimi's friend was breaking open chests, I realised that he was our only remaining suspect in the area, so I checked it out, and I was right." Mark summarized.

Seth nodded. "Thank you Mark. It was very prudent of you to prioritize the bracelet."

Mark shook his hand. "It's no problem."

Eirika looked between the two, sliding her bracelet back onto her arm. "Now that we've recovered my bracelet, would someone mind explaining to me why we took this detour? I'm happy that we've recovered this gift from my father, but I hardly think that it's worth taking time away from rescuing Ephraim."

Mark and Seth gave each other a look, and Mark shrugged. "Look, Seth was given the order to tell you, not me." He said, holding up his hands. When Seth shot him a hateful glare, Mark simply smiled back at the paladin.

Seth scratched the back of his head. "Your highness… When the time comes, I will tell you. Until then…"

Eirika let out a frustrated sigh. "Very well. If you believe that it is better for me to not know, then I will wait. I trust you." She turned to face Mark. "Both of you. So don't feel obligated to tell me if you believe that this is safer." Eirika said, turning to go inform the others that the search had been successful.

Once she was out of earshot, Mark leaned towards Seth and whispered "So why exactly aren't you telling her?"

"I… Am still having trouble talking to the princess. I panicked. There is no good reason." Seth said, lowering his head in shame.

"Hey, no one said that you had to change in a day, give it time." Mark said, putting a reassuring hand on Seth's shoulder..

"Thank you Mark. You've been a great help. Do you mind if I come to you for further advice? I have a hard time talking to others, but you have a… calming air around you."

Mark nodded eagerly. "Sure thing! I honestly didn't expect you to ever warm up to me, sir Seth! This calls for a celebration!" Mark joked.

Just as Seth was about to reply, Mark was tapped on the shoulder. Turning around, he identified the tattered cloak of Colm.

"Excuse me, I hope I'm not interrupting anything important, but Neimi and I were wondering if we could tag along with your group." He said.

Mark looked at the man, perplexed. "You know that we're not mercenaries, right? We're going deep into enemy territory. It's not going to be safe."

Colm lowered his head and scuffed his feet against the ground. "We know. But we don't have a home, and honestly… I don't know how much longer Neimi can survive on her own. Please, at least take her with you. If you won't accept me, I understand, but Neimi needs other people to support her, and when I'm getting us supplies, I can't do that."

Mark nodded contemplatively. "Well, I don't see a problem with this arrangement. Welcome aboard." Mark said, holding out his hand.

Both Colm and Seth's eyes widened in shock. "Mark! This man stole from the princess! You'd trust him just like that?!" He exclaimed.

Mark nodded. "He's proven himself useful, and I trust Neimi to keep him in line, don't you?" Mark responded.

Seth turned his attention to the archer in question, who was busy chatting with the princess, albeit somewhat timidly. He mumbled an agreement with Mark, and that was all Colm needed to grin and shake Mark's hand.

"Wallet please." Mark stated.

Colm grumbled and handed Mark back the wallet that he had attempted to steal from the tactician. Seth shook his head. "I'm impressed that you managed to catch that, Mark."

"Actually, I didn't. I just know how the mind of a thief works. Colm here's pretty good at pickpocketing though, if he managed to slip one by me. Think you could do that in combat?" Mark asked.

"Are you kidding me? Of course I can! Wouldn't be much of a thief if I couldn't!" Colm stated proudly. "Although I can't steal the weapons they're using. That's a bit advanced for me."

Mark laughed. "Don't worry. You'll get there someday. Now, go tell your friend that you'll be joining us, and that we march out in an hour."

Colm nodded in affirmation, and ran off towards his childhood friend. Seth nodded a farewell to Mark, and headed over to where the group had left their horses. Mark smiled. Seemed like everything was going just fine.

 **(Meanwhile)**

Selena had finally arrived back in the capital of Grado. She had much to report to the emperor, and the soldiers around her could almost sense her urgency as they let her past. Her mind was still reeling after meeting the man in the green cloak. Upon reaching the emperor's reception chambers, she found that Duessel and Glen were already there ahead of her, much to her surprise, though she would never show it.

"General Duessel." Selena stated emotionlessly.

"Selena. Have you been back long? Tell me, how fares the campaign in Renais?" Duessel asked.

"The villages are relatively safe, thanks to Renais' military, though the people are suffering from the lack of supplies."

"Hm. If Grado's troops do not re-establish trade, then the situation will undoubtedly worsen. And still, his majesty has given us no further orders…"

Suddenly, Glen barged into the conversation. "What could His Majesty be thinking? Breaking our long-held alliance with Renais-invading without warning... He's never been this way before. He abhors violence."

Selena remained silent, though it was obvious that she was uncomfortable.

"And have you noticed the recent promotions? Who are they going to? Certainly not to the soldiers who have Grado's best interests at heart. I fear this invasion is the prelude to a much larger war. I feel as though His Majesty is no longer the man we knew him to be." Glen continued, not sensing the discomfort that Selena was displaying.

However, Duessel caught on to how differently Selena was acting, and swiftly changed the subject. "That's enough. His majesty summons us. Let's hope we can learn a little during our audience."

As the trio entered the throne room, they noticed that the crown prince was there, standing next to the emperor. This was a strange occurrence, as prince Lyon had taken to isolation for many years, and it was rare to even see him eating with his father, let alone standing next to the man.

"...I appreciate your work in fulfilling your previous orders. You are the hammers that drive the nails of the empire's will... You will continue to operate...without hesitation... wherever I send you." The emperor slowly commanded.

The three gave an affirmative response, though Glen was reluctant to do so.

"...However, I know this... You, my Imperial Three, lack the strength to conquer the remaining nations alone. In the invasion of Renais, certain soldiers performed beyond expectation. I have chosen them to join you a new generals in the empire's service. ...Come." Vigarde beckoned.

Stepping out from a side door were three men. One was a snobby-looking man with cerulean hair, Glen grinding his teeth the moment he identified the man. The second was a man with slick brown-red hair, and took on the appearance of a mercenary. The final man was an old, creepy-looking bishop, who seemed to carry himself with an air of importance.

"...The performance of these men surpassed even your own. With the addition of these three... The empire will have six generals strong enough to conquer this land. Do you understand?" Vigarde explained.

"Heh heh heh... I am Riev, given the name Blood Beryl by His Majesty. I know I am a newcomer, but I pray for your favor." The bishop, Riev, introduced himself.

"I'm Caellach. I was a mercenary, fighting in the desert. Seems I'm to be called Tiger Eye... You're a fine-lookin' lass, aren't you? Yeah, I'm gonna love working with you." The mercenary chuckled.

Selena stayed silent at this comment. She was used to this form of behavior from her fellow soldiers, but that hadn't made the experience of being treated so differently any more comfortable.

"So we meet again. You know me as General Valter, but you will call me the Moonstone. I'll save you worthless dogs from your own incompetence. You'll thank me later." Valter sneered.

"Valter… You scum!" Glen shouted, no longer able to hold back his rage.

"Peace, Glen." Duessel said, attempting to calm down Glen before the man angered their leader. Glen bit back a response, seeing that he was already on thin ice as it was.

"Selena, Caellach. You will hand me Frelia. Riev, Duessel, you will handle the defence of the empire. I will speak with you for more details later. Valter, Glen, I have… Other duties for you."

"Yes, your majesty?" Glen asked, eager to prove himself.

"Renais has fallen, but Princess Eirika still eludes us... Her brother, Prince Ephraim, leads a resistance within our borders. Bring the siblings to me." Vigarde ordered.

"Hahahaha… Of course, your majesty." Valter laughed, eager at the idea of his new mission.

Glen, however, stayed silent. He knew the royal siblings of Renais well. They were good people, and did not deserve to die. So why did his king demand so?

However, before any of the generals could disperse, Selena spoke up. "Your highness, I have urgent news to report. On my travels, I have come across the man that you warned us about. He was in Ide, though he has likely left by then."

For the first time in a while, Lyon's eyes widened at the news, though the emperor seemed to take it ins stride. "I see… My orders still stand. Attempt to persuade him to join us, but do not engage him in direct combat… No matter what. Understood?" Seeing that they did, Vigarde dismissed them.

A few minutes later, after he was sure that the generals had left, Lyon threw up. The strain of using so much magic was finally catching up on him…

 **I HATED writing this chapter! It was so boring!**

 **Sorry if you expected more to happen, but I promise that I'll make up for it next chapter. We're gonna shake things up a little bit, deviate from the story ever so slightly.**

 **Also, I promised pairings a few chapters back but I forgot, so I'll just post them here:**

 **Eirika/Mark**

 **Seth/Natasha**

 **Joshua/Marisa**

 **Colm/Neimi**

 **Gerik/Tethys**

 **Vanessa/Innes**

 **Franz/Amelia**

 **Lute/Artur**

 **Ephraim/Tana**

… **I think that's everyone. If I forgot someone, they're either not going to be in this story too much or I forgot.**

 **Anyways, as always, feedback is always appreciated and encouraged, so please feel free to PM me or leave a review if you have any.**


	6. Ancient horrors

The ground around his feet was coated in blood. Looking at his hands, he realized that they were the source. Somehow, blood seemed to be pouring out of them at an alarming rate, though he somehow knew that none of the blood was his.

He scanned the battlefield. All of his friends were fighting. He had seen all this before. His friends needed him in this fight, so he started to run towards them.

But his feet refused to move.

He tried again. And again. And again. But no matter what he did, he could not move. He could not shout. He could only watch as his friends fought a hopeless battle.

"Why do you not help them?" A familiar voice said.

Turning around, he saw that it was king Fado.

"Do they truly mean nothing to you, _traitor_?" Fado spat out hatefully.

He tried to shake his head, to shout that he wanted to help them, but he couldn't.

"They never should have let you join them. You are a monster. You only bring pain and suffering to those you care for. There is no place for you in this world." Fado's voice boomed, gradually getting angrier and angrier.

He stood there, unable to protest, unable to ask why Fado was so angry with him, but his body finally started to respond to him. Or at least, he thought that it was. However, as he approached the king, his body ran forwards and impaled Fado on a sword that he hadn't been aware that he was holding.

"Why… Did you do it… Why… Did you kill me?" The king coughed out, before crumbling into dust.

The process repeated itself, but the person changed. One by one, his old friends appeared before his eyes, called him a traitor, a monster, anything they could think of to try and hurt him, and one by one he would kill them without mercy. He wanted to shout, to stop, but he couldn't. His body was acting on its own, as if possessed by some outside force.

Suddenly, everything changed. The sound of steel colliding with steel faded to the point where he could no longer hear it. Before him was someone who should not have been there.

His sister.

She gave him the most warming smile, and unlike all the others before, she said no words. She held her arms wide open, as if expecting a hug.

But her fate was the same as the others.

As he stood there, watching his sister fade into dust, he stopped struggling. He stopped trying to shout. He had no words left to say. There was no one left that he cared about. Or at least, so he thought.

"Mark? Did you do this?" He heard Eirika say.

Turning around, he saw the princess of Renais, but she was different. In the entire time that Mark had known her, this was the first time he would describe her as _scared_. Her eyes were wide, as if she couldn't believe that Mark was capable of such a thing. As if she had expected him to be above this kind of behavior.

"M-mark. Why? Why did you do this?" She stammered out, fear laced through her voice.

 _I didn't! This wasn't my fault!_ Mark screamed in his mind, but the words wouldn't come out. His body took a step towards Eirika. Then another. Then another. Ever. So. Slowly. Eirika didn't try to move, so shocked on the scene in front of her. Seeing Mark in front of her, she snapped out of her trance.

"Mark… You wouldn't do this to us, would you?" She asked.

Mark unsheathed his sword. He brought back his arm, and with no hesitation, thrust forwards.

Mark shot out of his bedroll with a muffled scream, cold sweat dripping down his body and face. He examined the room, and put his head in his hands. The nightmares were getting worse and worse. That was the first night that Eirika had shown up, and he assumed that it was only a matter of time before the others appeared as well. Mark removed the cloth that he had placed over his mouth to prevent himself from waking others up with his screams, and exited his tent.

It was still dark out, and Mark guessed that it had only been a few hours since he had fallen asleep. Four at most. The group had reached the Za'ha forest the night before, and once Vanessa had confirmed that there were no soldiers or bandits in the immediate vicinity, the party had set up for the night. Colm was on night watch, but was not around the camp when Mark checked, so he assumed that the thief was patrolling the area. In order to confirm this, Mark decided to go out for a walk and see if he could find their group's latest recruit.

The forest was quiet that night. A few owls could be heard in the distance, but otherwise the woods were still. No wind was blowing, and Mark couldn't hear footsteps. Having nothing in particular to do, Mark decided to simply go for a walk to clear his head of the nightmares that had been plaguing him recently, and the effect that they might have on his performance.

So far, he had not been feeling too tired by the short rests that he had been receiving instead of an actual night's rest, but ever since he had left the castle, they had been getting worse. It was only a matter of time before the lack of sleep caught up on his ability to perform as a tactician. He knew how to suppress his nightmares, but he had to hope that they had what he needed in the nearby town of Serafew. Suddenly, a faint sound shook Mark out of his thoughts. Continuing to walk towards the source of the noise, he started to identify it as the sound of someone cutting into wood. Maybe someone was chopping firewood out here? He had already travelled quite far from camp, so it was possible that he had run into some other camp. Acting on this thought, Mark started sneaking up on whoever was causing the noise, in case it somehow was an enemy.

However, once he came within view of the person in question, he saw that it was Eirika, who was standing in a clearing and clumsily swinging an axe of all things at the tree, but by the looks of her swings, it didn't seem like she was trying to cut down the tree. That made Mark curious, and he came out of his hiding place.

"Geez Eirika, put the poor tree out of its misery already." Mark joked, commenting on the many scratches and gashes that littered the tree.

Eirika jumped, and spun to face Mark. "Mark! Don't scare me like that." Eirika shouted, putting her hand over her chest. Composing herself, she continued. "I was just training."

"With an axe?" Mark asked, confused at what he had witnessed just moments prior.

Eirika's face flushed red in embarrassment. "Well, I started noticing that I was having trouble fighting enemies with lances, so I thought that I'd try using an axe. I'd heard that it's easier to fight lancers with axes than with swords, and I thought I'd give it a try." She tilted her head down to look at the axe in her hands. "I had just started an hour ago."

Mark looked at Eirika's expression. Everything about her told him that she was serious about training. He rubbed his chin contemplatively. Since he had met Eirika, he had been interested in her fighting style. It was familiar somehow, but he had no idea where he had seen it before. That being said, he believe that he could help the princess develop a better fighting style unique to Eirika.

"I don't think an axe works for you Eirika, but I think I might be able to help you out with fighting enemies that use lances." Mark stated. When Eirika raised an eyebrow, Mark spread his arms out wide. "Come on. I already admitted to you that I can fight pretty well. Is it really that hard to believe that I might be able to help you out?"

Eirika shook her head. "No, it's just that I didn't expect you to want to help me. You seem so against fighting."

"I could say the same for you Eirika." Mark retorted. "Why are you so hell-bent on training so hard anyways? Everyone that I've talked to has mentioned how you hate fighting, but you seem to be taking all of this in stride."

Eirika bit her lip and stayed quiet for a few moments. Mark was about to retract his question when Eirika spoke up. "I have to save my brother. I know that there are others who would do this anyways, but… if anyone died trying to do so… I wouldn't be able to forgive myself. I need to be the one to do this, especially since it is such a dangerous task." She paused. "And seeing what this war has done to people? Knowing that there are some out there who need my help? I feel like I need to be stronger. Strong enough so I can help more people like Colm or Neimi, or the villagers back in Ide. I want to help whoever I can, and I don't feel like sending others out do do it for me is good enough. I must help however I can to the best of my abilities, and if that means that I have to fight to defend those that must be defended, then I will." She replied, the fire in her eyes burning even brighter.

Mark nodded, though mostly to himself. "Good. You're wanting to get stronger for a good reason. Not everyone can say that. Pick up your sword, and take some swings against the tree. I'll give you some pointers."

Eirika blinked at Mark a few times. "You're not going to spar with me? That's how my brother used to train me."

Mark shook his head. "No, it would be for the best if I stood to the side and spotted room for improvement. I'll also take a look at your fighting in combat a bit more closely and see if I can give any advice."

Eirika looked thoughtful for a second, and then said "Okay. That sounds good. I think constructive criticism would help me quite a fair bit."

Mark's eyes widened a bit. "Really? That's it? You're not going to question why I'm not sparring with you? Or why I think I can help you improve? Everyone else seems to jump at opportunities to ask about my past, so why aren't you anymore?"

"Do you plan on hurting us?" Eirika asked

Mark's expression turned into one of shock. "NO! Of course not! Why would you-"

"Does your secret have anything to do with Grado's invasion?"

Mark shook his head. "No."

"Then I trust you. You've proven nothing but reliable to all of us since we've left Renais. I don't think that it's any of mine or anyone else's business to pry into someone else's past when they don't want to share, so I'll just have to trust that when you're ready to open up to someone, you'll trust me enough to be able to talk to me." She gave Mark a serene smile. "Because I can tell that something's hurting you Mark, and I want to be able to help you through whatever it is."

Mark blinked a few times, fighting back tears. He wiped his eyes. "I… Thank you Eirika. That means more to me than you could possibly realize." He took in a deep breath and closed his eyes. Finally composing himself, he clapped his hands together. "Right! Enough of that sob-story nonsense, let's get back to cutting up trees!" He exclaimed with extreme enthusiasm, causing Eirika to giggle to herself at the abrupt change in the man's behavior.

Eirika dropped the throwing hatchet that she had borrowed from Ross and picked up her rapier. She started going through her basic practice movements, and every once in a while Mark would add in his own advice, which Eirika found quite helpful. When Eirika would have trouble remembering Mark's suggestions, he would start to suggest an exercise that would help, and then he would tell her to practice it until he was satisfied with her progress.

"I'm honestly surprised that you need my advice. I figured that from training with your brother, you would be used to fighting against lance-users." Mark commented after about an hour of training.

Continuing her exercises, Eirika grunted. "He only sparred against me with a sword. I was still learning back then, and it would have only been frustrating if he had been using his lance."

Mark rubbed his chin in thought. "But he could still teach you while sparring, correct? That's how a lot of people train."

Eirika shook her head. "My brother is not… The teaching type. Whenever we sparred, he went all out. He knew that, once he started a fight, he wouldn't be able to hold back or pause to give me advice, so the only way that he could assist with my learning was to give me another opponent to spar against." She explained.

Mark nodded his head, and was about to inquire further, when he noticed movement off in the distance and squinted to try and identify it. Eirika, noticing that Mark had stopped talking, looked in the direction he was.

"What is it Mark?" Eirika asked.

Mark put a finger over his lips, and pointed towards where he saw movement. He could identify it as a vaguely humanoid shape. Just as he was about to try and communicate, an arrow whizzed by his head from the nearby trees. Whipping his head around to meet his unseen attacker, and saw a confusing sight. In the treelines was a human skeleton, completely assembled, and holding the bow that likely just fired at him.

"Um. Eirika?" Mark said.

"Mark. What are those?" Eirika said, noticing the skeleton as well as several other vaguely-human figures that were shambling towards the duo.

"Don't know. Don't care. Run!" Mark shouted, just as he noticed several more skeletons draw their bows back, ready to fill the both of them with arrows.

Narrowly avoiding the barrage, the two of them managed to get more trees between them and their assailants, though they heard what sounded like moaning and what sounded like dozens of footsteps running after them. However, to Mark, the most disturbing sound was that of bones clattering together. He couldn't quite comprehend what it was that was currently chasing him, and that made him nervous. People he could read fine, but how was he supposed to tell how easily those things would go down? Glancing at Eirika, he saw that she was panicking just as much as he was, which made him shake those thoughts out of his head. He was the tactician now. Everyone was looking at him for guidance, and he would only instill more fear if he started panicking.

Suddenly, after crossing a bridge, Eirika stopped running. "Mark, keep going back to camp and alert the others. I'll hold them off here." Eirika said, taking up a defensive stance and facing the direction that the strange creatures were coming from.

Mark stared at Eirika with wide eyes. "Are you crazy?! I'm not leaving you behind!" He yelled.

Eirika didn't even glance at him. "Just go, Mark. You're unarmed and if the others don't get a warning about these creatures soon, I fear it may be too late for them to defend themselves." She turned to face him, and she gave him a sad smile. "I know that this must be hard for you, but you have to go. Please, I need you to do this for me Mark." She said as she once again turned to face the large group of creatures that was just starting to emerge the forest beyond the bridge. Mark looked at the bridge in question. Had it been a rope bridge, he would have cut it down then and there and be done with it, but sadly the bridge was being supported by wooden beams that were barely touching the river below, and there wasn't much that he could do about that. Swearing internally, Mark gave in to Eirika's request.

"Fine. But I'm coming back, and I'm bringing help with me, so don't you DARE die until then, got it?" He shouted as he ran off.

Not even bothering to nod, Eirika wondered how possible that request would be. She started trying to count how many creatures were emerging from the forest, but she had to stop counting at around 20, since the monsters were upon her. At the front were strange, shambling creatures that looked like people, but hunched over, and it appeared to Eirika as if their flesh was rotting away. Behind them were the skeletons from before, some holding bows, swords, or, much to Eirika's chagrin, lances. Back in the treeline, Eirika thought that she saw another silhouette, though this one looked anything but human.

Not content to simply observing her enemy anymore, Eirika struck out at the first creature that crossed her path. The ones whose flesh were rotting away were the closest, and appeared to not have any weapons on them. Eirika stepped forwards and thrust her rapier into the heart of one of them, and thinking that she'd killed her adversary, pulled it back out to try and take down her next foe when she realized that piering the creature's heart was not enough, as it was still approaching her. Ducking, Eirika narrowly avoided a blow from the creature's sharp claws, as it swung its arms at her wildly.

Panicking slightly, Eirika's mind raced to try and think of ways that she could take down these extremely resilient enemies. She knew that she'd have to work quickly or else she would quickly be surrounded. Desperately, Eirika practically jumped up from her crouched position and impaled her foe's head through his jaw. Seeing that the creature finally went limp on her rapier, Eirika finally stopped panicking, having found the way to kill these things. However, her victory was short-lived, as she had to backstep to dodge another claw from cutting into her. This process kept repeating itself, as Eirika was carefully putting enemies between herself and the enemy archers, preventing them from taking shots at her, but she was feeling herself slowing down. Between the lateness of the night and the training that she had done with Mark, she had already been feeling tired, but now she was feeling exhausted. It was because of this that she missed her next enemy's skull, and instead only hit his throat. Capitalizing on the princess' mistake, the creature managed to land a hit on Eirika, giving her a deep gash across her chest. Recoiling, Eirika managed to pull her sword out of the throat of the creature and stagger backwards. When the creature ran at her again, Eirika was so exhausted that she didn't so much attack the creature as point her sword at it's skill and allow it to kill itself. Panting, Eirika turned to try and face her next foe, but was met with a blast of dark magic, which knocked her back into a tree behind her with a sickening force.

Eirika could feel her consciousness slowly fading away, and her vision started clouding, slowly fading to black. As she started losing vision, she could see that she had been struck in the shoulder by an arrow at some point. The amount of blood that she was losing must have been considerable, and she imagined that she would be dead soon. However, apparently 'soon' wasn't enough for the strange force that she had been fighting, as a skeleton with a sword was came up to her, poised to deliver a final blow. Eirika closed her eyes in defeat, acknowledging that this was where it all ended.

 _Mark… I'm leaving it up to you to save my brother. Bring him back home…_ Eirika thought sadly.

Just then, Eirika heard the sound of steel colliding with steel, and then what sounded like bones breaking. Opening her eyes slowly, she saw that the creature's sword had been flung far away from where she lay, and a man was standing in front of her over a pile of bones, likely what remained of her would-be killer. Eirika's vision had deteriorated quite far by that point, so she couldn't quite make out what he looked like.

"Wrong move." The man said, in a voice that was familiar to Eirika, but with far more malice than she ever remembered hearing.

To confirm it was who she thought it was, Eirika forced herself to focus even harder on his appearance, and as he started slowly walking towards the majority of the enemy. As Eirika's vision completely faded to black, she could have swore… That he was wearing… Green…

 **(A few minutes before)**

Mark was running. Like a coward. He knew that it was the right decision, but that didn't make it any easier to swallow. However, he knew that there was no point in moping about the order he had been given; he had a job to do. Unfortunately, camp was still way too far away for him to run there in any reasonable time, much less get back in time for Eirika to still be alive.

Luckily for Mark, he was nothing if not resourceful. While running, he took a small pouch out of his coat. Mark opened it up and grimaced at the purple powder within - warp powder, as Mark knew it.

 _This is going to hurt later…_ Mark thought to himself.

Mark poured the contents into one of his coat pockets, making sure to separate it from the now-empty pouch. Grabbing a handful of powder, Mark concentrated, and he found himself just outside of the campground. Running inside, he found Seth already organizing their group, frantically looking around for something.

 _Probably me and Eirika_ Mark thought to himself. _Scratch that, just Eirika._

Someone that Mark didn't recognize pointed towards Mark, and Seth spun around, desperation written on his face.

"Mark! Where is the princess?" Seth exclaimed.

Mark was panting, pretending to be exhausted.

"She's… By the bridge… Holding off enemies… Told me to go…" Mark gasped out.

Seth's expression turned into one of pure rage.

"What?! You left the princess behind?! How-" Seth started.

"Seth. Go. Take everyone you can and go help her as quickly as possible. I'll be right behind you after I grab my sword. Reprimand me **after** Eirika is safe." Mark ordered, not entirely sure if Seth would obey him.

Seth was obviously reluctant to put off his scolding of Mark, but was much more concerned with the princess. "Everyone! Follow me!" Seth shouted, running in the direction Mark had come from.

Mark ran into his tent and grabbed his sword. He was tempted to grab his other weapons, but shook his head.

 _The backlash would be too much… And all I'll need is one sword for this._ He thought to himself.

Running out of the tent, Mark looked around to confirm that no one was watching. Once he was sure, he grabbed another handful of warp powder, and once it vanished, he found himself right next to the clearing where he had abandoned Eirika. He heard the sickening crunch of Eirika hitting a tree, and saw a skeleton standing over her, prepped to deliver the final blow. Grabbing his third handful of warp powder, Mark teleported right in front of the princess, just in time to deflect the blow meant for her. Shoving his new opponent back, Mark finished off his opponent with blinding speed, crushing the skeleton's skull.

"Wrong move." Mark said, more to himself than to his enemies, as Mark doubted that they had enough intelligence to even register something like fear.

Mark looked back at Eirika, and was happy to find that she was already unconscious (and therefore likely hadn't seen what he'd done), but quickly panicked when he saw her wounds.

 _Not enough warp powder for the two of us… I didn't bring a vulnerary…_ Mark thought, going through the list of possible options. _As much as I hate to admit it, I think I'll just have to wait for father Moulder to get here… I don't really have a way of helping Eirika._ He looked back over his enemies, and gave a feral grin. _Other than killing them, I mean._

Mark took in a deep breath. He knew that he would need all of his focus to be on this fight if he were to have any hope of winning, especially with only one weapon and against foes that he'd never encountered before. Suddenly, he noticed the corpses of the dozen or so enemies that Eirika had killed. They had all been pierced in the head, and Mark smiled at the realization that he had. Eirika almost always aimed for a blow to the heart, as she had confided in him during the training session that night that she found it far easier. For her to consistently target somewhere else meant that it was likely the weak spot for these new enemies. Turning, Mark swung his sword, and decapitated another enemy, an undead human of some description, and saw it's body go limp.

 _Perfect. Now, which one of these creatures used dark magic?_ Mark thought to himself as he walked towards where the creatures seemed to be holding position on the bridge.

As if in answer, Mark felt the air around him grow cold, and instinctively rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding another blast of dark magic. Looking towards the other side of the river, mark noticed a floating eyeball, the only one of its kind that Mark could see.

 _None of the others use tomes… Guess that's the culprit then._

Mark used up another handful of warp powder, teleporting next to the eyeball and slicing it wide open with his sword.

 _There, much better._ _Now, let's see what my next move is._ Suddenly, time seemed to slow to a crawl for Mark as he started to analyze the battlefield.

 _10 skeletons; 5 have bows, rest have lances. Guess Eirika didn't have to use those exercises after all. 20 other undead, all unarmed, seem to not be inaccurate. Using bridge as a defensive position, need to keep them distracted from Eirika. Only have enough warp powder for one more 'jump', and I need to save that to get back before anyone suspects anything. Current plan of action: focus on an archer, steal bow, fire upon the lancers from a distance._

Finishing his plan, Mark practically leapt at the enemy. An archer who was almost about to fire at him was his first target, and Mark shoved the creature's arm to the side with his sword just as it was about to fire, causing the arrow to fly off towards the other monsters on the bridge, killing another archer.

 _That works._ Mark thought.

Attacking the skeleton's neck, Mark managed to sever its head from the rest of the skeleton, causing the other bones to fall to the ground. Mark wasted no time in picking up the bow and arrows that it had dropped. One of the unarmed creatures was rushing towards him, but Mark was too fast. In an instant, Mark managed to both notch an arrow in the bow as well as fire it into the creature's skull, causing it to collapse and slide along from the momentum it had built up. Not wasting any time, Mark fired arrow after arrow, felling two of the remaining three archers before a lance wielder started took a swing at him, forcing Mark to deflect the lance with his bow. Not wanting to switch weapons, Mark shoved an arrow into the side of the lancer's skull hard enough to pierce the bone, and then spun to dodge an incoming arrow, only to use his arrow-turned-dagger back at the last skeleton archer. By this point, Mark had run out of arrows, so he was forced to switch back to the sword that he'd brought with him. The rest of the fight was a blur for Mark. Parry, stab. Block, shove, slash. Everything was simple, easy to comprehend. It was not something that Mark had experienced in quite some time, and something about the whole experience was satisfying. Even though he could die with a single mistake, something deep down told him that he wouldn't, no, that he **couldn't** die to these things.

Moments later, Mark stood over the lifeless corpse of his final adversary, his breath slightly heavy. He sighed. His form had gotten very sloppy. He would have to practice in secret soon if he ever wished to get back to his old fighting capabilities. He snapped to attention when he felt the air around him grow cold again, and almost managed to dodge a blast of dark magic. As it was, all it did was shove him back a few feet. Looking over, he saw that the floating eyeball that he thought he'd killed was still alive.

 _Of course. I've been relying on loopholes, but that one doesn't count. Seriously? How does that even count as 'alive'?_

However, the sound of horse hooves shook him out of his train of thought, and Mark immediately used his remaining warp powder to teleport about a minute's run away from the battlefield. Mark clutched his head.

 _Magical backlash can wait. I need to make sure Eirika is okay._ He thought to himself, shaking his head to help keep the pain away.

After sprinting towards the clearing, Mark was genuinely tired, so he didn't need to pretend to be out of breath anymore. Entering the clearing, he saw that Seth and Moulder were standing over Eirika. Moulder was using his staff to heal the princess, while Seth seemed extremely worried. Colm was inspecting the corpses that littered the bridge, while everyone else seemed to be exploring the surrounding forest for more enemies. Upon hearing the crunching of underbrush, Seth reached for his lance, and only relaxed a little bit when he identified the sound as Mark.

"Tactician." Seth said dryly.

Mark flinched. He thought that he had gotten Seth to stop calling him that when he had helped out the paladin's history with Eirika, but apparently his actions today had angered the man enough to switch back.

"How did you guys kill them so quickly? There were so many of them!" Mark exclaimed, hoping that his acting was still enough to fool the knight.

Either it was or Seth was just really mad at him, but the knight seemed to buy the idea that Mark had been following them the whole time. Gritting his teeth, Seth said "It wasn't us. The enemy was dead when we got here, save one strange eyeball-creature. Colm seems convinced that Eirika couldn't have done all of this herself, and I'm inclined to believe him. While I have faith in her highness' combat capabilities, I am doubtful that she could have taken on so many enemies by herself." Seth looked like he wanted to say more, but Colm suddenly spoke up.

"Alright, it definitely wasn't Eirika that did all of this. Look. Arrows." Colm shouted.

Seth looked contemplative. "You said that you saw whoever did this. Who was it?" Seth inquired.

Colm shook his head. "No idea. I only saw a glimpse of them, and then they disappeared in a flash of light."

Seth frowned. "Did they leave any footprints?"

"No, it's weird. It's like they just… Vanished. There's footprints all around this area that look the same, but none of them walk away from here. I'll keep looking though."

That just seemed to make Seth even angrier. He turned to face Mark yet again. "Very well. While we wait to see if we can find any more information about milady's savior, I would like to have a word with you, **tactician**." Seth said, any attempts at masking his fury gone.

Mark gulped, and allowed Seth to lead him into the trees. "I would ask you to explain yourself, but that's not what I want. You fled when Eirika needed you, and that is all I need to know." Lifting his lance, Seth pointed it at Mark.

"In light of your past service to the crown, I will not execute you for treason where you stand. I cannot fire you, as you are not under contract any more. But know this: should I ever see you anywhere near the princess again, I will end your life. So I would suggest finding another line of work, and fast." Seth threatened.

When Seth said the word 'treason', Mark almost looked like he was going to attack the general, but luckily he restrained himself. He closed his eyes and let out a deep breath.

"All right. If that's how you want to play it, I'll leave. I wish you all good luck, sir Seth. If Eirika wants me back though, I'll expect you to play nice." Mark said. He turned away from Seth and started walking off.

Thinking to himself, he understood that Seth's line of thinking was understandable, as he himself had found the act of fleeing from Eirika while she was outnumbered to be despicable as well, but that didn't hurt when Seth called him a traitor. He had been called that far too many times. Although, he thought with a chuckle, that was true, wasn't it? He was a traitor. The lowest of the low. He knew that Eirika would probably try to recruit him again, but after all that had happened, he wondered if he should even side with her. He had a lot of things to sort out. He needed to go home, to accept whatever punishment might await him there. He needed to stop running away, and face those that he had wronged. But yet Eirika needed his help, no, Eirika didn't need his help for anything. Eirika wanted his help, and if she asked a thousand times, Mark knew that he'd follow her every time.

Having reached camp, Mark opened a small box that contained four more pouches of warp powder. He sighed. Warp powder was rare, and Mark wasn't even sure if it was even produced on Magvel. He would have to conserve his remaining supply very carefully if he wanted it to last. Mentally shrugging, Mark realized that the odds of him having to use much more warp powder was minimal anyways, and continued onwards towards Serafew. If he hurried, he could probably reach it before the rest of the group, and he wanted to cure his nightmares, dammit!

 **A/N:**

 **Ugh… Why was this chapter so hard to write?**

 **So yeah, little bit of an insight as to how Mark REALLY fights. Originally, I wasn't going to show you guys that scene where Mark fought, and it was just going to be Eirika blacking out and then every monster would be dead when they all showed up.**

 **However, I have a friend that's been giving me advice on this fanfic, and he thinks that I need to reveal more about Mark's backstory, so I'll try to do that from here on out.**

 **Also, if anyone is concerned that Lute and Artur didn't make an appearance in this chapter, they'll be in the next one.**


	7. The Empire's Reach

Eirika awoke to find that she was by herself. Eyes darting around, she saw that she seemed to be in the middle of some form of fog, thick enough that she couldn't see for more than five feet in front of her. Slowly standing, the princess of Renais carefully walked forwards.

"Mark? Seth? Is anyone there?" She shouted into the fog, hoping that one of her friends would hear her.

Movement from within the fog caught her attention, and Eirika reached for where her sword should have been, but only ended up grabbing thin air. Suddenly, a figure came out of the clouds, and Eirika gasped.

"Brother!" Eirika shouted, running forwards to try and embrace her last living relative, but froze upon seeing that he was gravely wounded.

"Sister…" She heard her brother sputter out. "Don't… Let him… Get you… Run…" Her brother managed to say with his last breaths.

Eirika gasped in shock. This couldn't be happening. No, this wasn't happening. This had to be a dream. She pinched herself. When she didn't wake up, she tried again, and again, and again. When she realized that it wasn't working, the tears started, as she understood that her brother had just died in front of her. She heard footsteps behind her, but she didn't care. She continued to stare at her brother as blood pooled under his lifeless corpse. She thought that nothing could possibly make her feel any worse, but she was about to be proven wrong.

"Princess…" Eirika heard from behind her.

Spinning on her heel to see the source of the new voice, Eirika gasped when she saw that the source of the voice was none other than Seth. He was crawling towards Eirika, but he was completely covered in deep cuts and scrapes, and his body appeared to be covered in burns. It appeared as if someone intended to kill him as slowly and as painfully as possible, for none of the wounds were lethal on their own, but it was obvious to Eirika that the paladin had almost completely bled out. She knelt down next to the knight and reached to her belt to try and find a vulnerary, but there were none there.

"Don't bother, your majesty… I'm too far gone to save… Don't trust him…" Seth managed to wheeze out.

Eirika watched the rise and fall of the knight's chest slow down and then cease completely.

"No… This isn't happening… No…" Eirika mumbled to herself, covering her eyes and finally breaking down, sobbing uncontrollably over the body of her dead friend.

"Eirika?" A third voice asked behind her. This one didn't sound injured. "What happened?"

Slowly turning around, Eirika saw Mark standing just behind her. Standing up, she quickly embraced Mark, happy both that one of her friends was alive and that she had someone who would comfort her…

Her thoughts were interrupted by a sharp pain through her stomach. Looking down, she saw that Mark had stuck a wicked-looking sword through her chest.

"M-mark… Why…" She whispered.

Looking at the man that she once called her friend, she noticed that he looked quite different than how she remembered. His eyes, his calming brown eyes that always seemed so calm were now a crimson red. His smile, which normally was enough to soothe her, the one that made her laugh, was twisted into something more resembling a smile a madman would wear.

"I am a traitor and a monster, princess. To have expected anything else was nothing more than foolish." He snarled, pulling out his sword, and plunging it back into her over. And over. And over. Until the pain faded away and Eirika drifted into blackness again.

* * *

Opening her eyes, Eirika found herself staring at the roof of a tent. She tried to sit up, but an intense pain overtook her. Fearing that her wounds from Mark were still there, Eirika looked down, relieved to find that that was not the case. Letting out a deep breath, Eirika heard the sound of a tent flap opening. Glancing towards the source of the sound, Eirika saw a purple-haired girl standing there.

"Ah. I see you're awake. I expected as such. I will fetch the general." The girl stated, showing no emotion.

"Wait!" Eirika exclaimed as the girl was about to leave. "Who are you? Is everyone safe?"

The girl's gaze fell upon Eirika, and Eirika couldn't help but feel exposed. It was as if this girl was analyzing her.

"My name is Lute. I am a peerless prodigy of magic. I assisted your friends in repelling the monster incursion on your camp, and then we set out to find you dying next to a bridge." Lute paused. "I believe that general Seth said that he would inform you on the rest of our situation, so I will fetch for him immediately."

Bowing, Lute quickly exited the tent before Eirika could even thank her. She sighed. At least Seth was still alive. Her nightmare had been so vivid that she honestly expected that he could have been dead. Thinking back to her memories before she blacked out, Eirika recalled the fight against the strange creatures. She also remembered hearing Mark's voice, and seeing a man in a green coat fighting off the hoard. It was only logical that Mark was the one that saved her, but how could he have fought off all of those creatures? Furthermore, why didn't he go back and warn the others like she had asked? He seemed like he was completely willing to go through with that plan just mere moments prior.

The sound of the tent door being practically thrown open shook her out of her contemplations. Seth was there, looking utterly exhausted.

"Your highness! It brings me great joy to see you awake!" Seth exclaimed, panting heavily. "I feared the worse when I saw what condition you were in."

Eirika smiled. "Thank you for your concern and your help sir Seth. But what happened? I blacked out after only taking out ten or so of the creatures."

Seth shook his head. "I don't know, your highness. We ran towards you as soon as Mark alerted us that you were in peril, and by the time we arrived, you were already heavily injured, and there were at least forty corpses littering the surrounding area. There was only one enemy alive when we arrived, and it was heavily injured, to the point where Artur managed to finish it off with one blast of magic."

"Who is Artur? And this Lute woman that came into my tent? Do we have a new batch of recruits?" Eirika inquired.

Seth nodded affirmatively. "Yes, our camp came under attack while you and Mark were out. Luckily, a monk showed up just as we were about to get hit and warned us of the danger. His name was Artur, and he and his mage partner, whom you've already been introduced to as 'Lute', helped us clear out the creatures, and once Mark showed up, assisted us in securing your well-being."

Eirika made a mental note to thank their new comrades later. However, she was currently debating whether or not to tell Seth that Mark was the one that really saved her. She decided against it, since Mark hadn't simply stayed around and shown the others what he had done. She would have to confront him about that later.

"Seth, what else do you know about whatever it was that saved me?" Eirika asked, trying to throw Seth off.

"Not much, I'm afraid. A few were killed with arrows, but it looks as if they were of the same make that the skeletons were carrying, so it is likely that whoever it was stole one of their bows. The others were killed with what we assume was a sword. The strangest thing though, was that there are only one set of footprints, and none of them left the clearing. Colm believed that he saw a faint figure disappearing in a flash of light, but we can't be certain. Finally, we also know that whatever it was that saved you was not hurt. There was no blood at the scene, and no torn cloth or metal to indicate that someone had been injured. It is a most perplexing situation, milady."

That was certainly news. Assuming Eirika was correct, that meant a few things about Mark. One: He could use magic, based on what Colm had seen, and the lack of footprints. Two: He was strong enough to take on at least thirty enemies on his own without getting hurt. Three: For whatever reason, he didn't want to take credit for these achievements. Now more than ever, Eirika was sure that she should keep Mark's secret, but she still wanted to talk with him as soon as possible.

"Seth, you mentioned that our camp was attacked. Were there any other serious injuries?"

Seth shook his head.

"No milady. No one was seriously injured. I believe that miss Neimi's leg was cut by one of the creatures, but Colm healed her impressively fast. I honestly didn't expect such devotion from a thief, but he has surpassed my expectations so far."

Eirika nodded. "That is good to hear. Do you think that you could send Mark in? I would like to thank him for his assistance in saving me."

Seth raised an eyebrow in confusion. "He helped save you, princess?"

"Yes. He informed you all where I was, as I ordered him to. He was not comfortable taking that order, and I wanted to thank him for doing what I asked anyways."

Seth started sweating nervously. "W-well… You see your highness… I didn't know the full details of what had happened before Mark left you…"

Eirika started to glare at Seth. "Seth... What. Did. You. Do."

Seth shifted uncomfortably. "Well… I thought at the time that the tactician may have simply abandoned you while you fought, so I… Threatened him and told him to leave."

Eirika put a hand over her face. "Seth, I gave him the order to retreat. He didn't have a weapon and both of us are horrible at running. We would have died trying to get back to camp, so I knew that I had to hold them off. In that situation, what would you have done if you were Mark?"

Seth glanced at her for a second, and then looked down at the floor. "Do you want the honest answer, milady?" Seth asked.

"Yes."

Seth took a deep breath. "I would have forcibly taken you away from the combat. Even if I had to knock you unconscious, as deplorable as that sounds. YOUR safety is my top priority, not my own or anyone else's. I would defy your orders to ensure your safety, as that is my duty as a knight."

Eirika glared at Seth in frustration. "Seth? I understand why you think that your answer is correct, but please tell me that you wouldn't actually do that."

"I'm sorry your highness, but that is what I would have done, and I was disappointed when Mark did not do the same."

Eirika sighed. While she appreciated the devotion that Seth showed, she hated how he didn't seem to trust her to make her own decisions at times, and she especially didn't like getting such special treatment over the others.

"Seth, please inform the others that as soon as I get up, we will continue towards Serafew. If we encounter Mark there, you will not fight him, and I will be asking him to join us again. Is that clear?" Eirika said with a tone of authority, hoping that giving Seth a direct order might force him to act more hospitable towards Mark.

Eirika watched as the usually stoic knight let a rare display of emotions show in front of the princess. His face transformed into a scowl, but he nodded tersely and exited the medical tent. Eirika let her head rest back against her pillow, and stared at the tent ceiling. She had a feeling that Seth might disregard that order as well, so she would have to make sure that she would be the one to find Mark first.

Meanwhile, amidst the camp, Seth was currently brooding over his new orders from the princess. He didn't like inviting Mark back to their little group. It wasn't just the fact that he had abandoned the princess to her fate two nights prior, no, Seth had been suspicious of the man ever since he had 'figured out' about the truth of the sacred stones of Renais. He hadn't been sure how to feel about it immediately, but he found it suspicious that the man insisted the late King Fado to tell someone about the sacred stone. Did the man have some form of agenda for the holy artifact? Was he withholding information vital to their cause? All of these came together to form a picture of a man that Seth still wasn't sure if he could trust. He would talk to Mark the moment that he came across the tactician, and would find out once and for all if he was fit to join the princess' group. And if Seth felt like he wasn't, he may have to take the tactician's punishment into his own hands.

 **(One day ago)**

Joshua chuckled to himself. Last night was quite the haul. There were a ton of Grado soldiers that were drinking last night, and he really didn't have any qualms with cheating them out of their money, which was way easier while they were drunk. True, it was nowhere nearly as satisfying as a pure game of chance, but Joshua felt like he was doing some good in the world by cheating them.

That being said, they were the only group anywhere nearby that would hire him, so unless he wanted to lose his chance at mercenary work, he would have to stop taking advantage of them while they were drunk. Joshua sighed. It left a bad taste in his mouth to work for Grado, especially after seeing how they'd treated the Renais citizens of Serafew, a place regarded widely as a sign of trust between the two nations. However, he needed to eat, and Grado had effectively taken away all the money of the nearby towns, effectively negating the chance that he could be hired by one of them for mercenary work.

Just as he was about to finally head out and try to find a recruiter for the Grado force, he noticed an interesting-looking man in a green cloak stumble his way down the stairs, clutching his head. Even though most of the room turned to look at him after the noise he was making, all he did was simply walk up to the tavern owner and order something, giving little acknowledgment to the stares that he was receiving. After the other tavern dwellers lost interest, Joshua decided to approach the man.

"I don't remember seeing you drinking here last night… Where'd you get that nasty-looking hangover?" Joshua asked while sitting down. "I'm almost sorry to have missed whatever party you must have gone to."

The man gave a bitter laugh. "No, I don't drink often. Just feeling the consequences of a battle I was in the other day. If you think I was bad, you should have seen the other guys."

Joshua gave a grin at that. "Always nice to meet a fellow mercenary. My name's Joshua, could I have yours?" He said, extending a hand in greeting.

The man looked Joshua up and down a bit before shrugging. "Ah, what the hell. Call me Mark." Mark said, shaking Joshua's hand while clutching his head with the other.

"Nice to meet you Mark, care for a game of cards?" Joshua asked.

Mark shook his head. "Not in this state, thanks. I'd like a clear mind while playing. So tell me Joshua, where are you from?"

Joshua hesitated for a moment before relenting. "Jehanna. Haven't been there for a few years though."

"Jehanna's filled with desert, right? I've never actually been."

"No, that's a common misconception. While it's true that the northern part of the country, where the capital is, is filled with desert, the rest of the country's full of grassland, and there's even some forests next to the coast. What about you? Where are you from?"

Mark chuckled. "Sorry, can't tell you that. I'm not from Magvel though." Mark admitted.

"Any reason why you can't tell me?" Joshua inquired.

"Yeah, I'm famous." Mark deadpanned.

They both stayed silent for a few moments before bursting into laughter.

"Hehe. Couldn't keep a straight face." Mark said, wiping away a single tear.

"If makes a difference, you almost had me there." Joshua replied.

Just then, the door to the tavern opened, and in walked three Grado soldiers. They walked up to the barkeeper, all while chatting together and laughing.

"Hey barkeep. My friends and I lost a lot of money here last night, but we can't seem to remember who it was that took it. Mind helping us give the scum a piece of our minds?" The leading soldier asked the somewhat frightened barkeep while leaning over the bar.

The tavern owner, who had very little respect for the occupying soldiers, contemplated his options, before shaking his head.

"Sorry sirs, but I don't believe I did. There was quite a ruckus last night, which made it pretty hard to pay attention." The man tried to reason.

The lead soldier chuckled. "Fair enough, I suppose. But we're going to need some compensation for the 'damages' that we took last night. Since it was your place… I'd say that makes you the one that has to pay."

The barkeeper sighed. This was a somewhat regular occurrence for him. 'Surprise taxes', 'compensation for damages', these were excuses that the occupation force used to extort money from property owners like himself. He reached behind the bar and pulled out a few handfuls of coins, a little bit more than what the men last night had been cheated out of.

"Think we might need a little more than that, old man." The leader of the group threatened.

While this was happening, the other two members of the group had their hands on the hilt of their swords, scanning the room and glaring at any of the customers that looked uncomfortable with the exchange. Mark had pulled his hood up on the off chance that he might be recognized by the guards, given the exchange that had occurred with Selena back in Ide. Seeing no choice, the tavern owner reluctantly dropped two more handfuls of coins on the counter.

"Pleasure doing business with you." The leader said, giving a grin and scooping the coins off the bar and into a sack by his waist.

The trio left the tavern quickly, aware that they might have had to get violent had they stayed any longer. Once they were out of earshot, Joshua spoke up.

"Sorry barkeep, that's my fault. Here, I'll give you back what I took from those dastards." Joshua offered, but Mark held up a hand to stop him.

"Hold that thought. I'll be right back." Mark said, casually strolling out the doorway, leaving his green coat behind.

A few moments later, Joshua and the other residents of the bar could hear a commotion outside that seemed to be getting closer and closer. Suddenly, they heard the sound of the lead soldier's voice.

"Stop that thief! He assaulted an officer!"

Looking out the front window, the tavern dwellers saw Mark zoom past the window, followed shortly by several Grado soldiers, though the lead one seemed to be sporting a black eye. Not even a moment after the soldiers had gone out of sight, Mark casually strolled through the doorway, sweat on his face and a large sack in his hands. Mark dropped the sack on the bar.

"Hide this." He whispered to the barkeeper, who nodded in response, storing the sack in a large trunk next to his feet. Mark sat back down in his seat and put his robe on, pulling up the hood and clutching his head again.

Suddenly, the door burst open and the soldiers from before came in, accompanied by another four soldiers. They scanned the room thoroughly.

"Anything I can help you gentlemen with?" The barkeep asked.

"We're looking for a thief. Black hair, medium size. We couldn't get a better look at him than that. He assaulted me, and then ran away with all of my money." The lead soldier snarled.

"Sir. That man's wearing a hood." One of the soldiers mentioned, pointing out Mark.

The lead soldier gave a feral grin. "Ha! Thought you could get away that easily, eh? Well I-" He said, throwing back the tactician's hood.

However, once Mark's hood was thrown back, the soldier's eyes widened in shock. Instead of a black-haired man like he had expected, Mark's hair was completely white. Mark raised an eyebrow at the officer.

"Is there a problem?" Mark asked, deliberately changing his voice to be a slightly deeper pitch.

The officer shook his head, and was about to say something when one of the other soldiers spoke up.

"Sir! That man's face… It looks just like the thief's!" He exclaimed.

The officer narrowed his eyes at the tactician, and looked around the room, before his eyes rested on Joshua.

"You there. Mercenary. Was this man responsible for the theft and assault of an officer?" The man asked, trying to sound as authoritative as possible.

Joshua laughed. "Are you kidding me? This guy's got such a hangover, I was amazed that he managed to get down the stairs! You should have seen the guy!" He said with a grin, and most of the tavern residents laughed at the memory, causing the tactician's face to flush bright red.

"It wasn't that bad…" Mark mumbled to himself.

Frustrated, the officer barked an order at the other soldiers to leave the tavern in search for their thief. After a few minutes of them being gone, Mark's hair color magically shimmered back to it's black color, and the whole bar cheered. Mark and Joshua shook hands.

"Nice save there, Joshua. They would have caught me if it hadn't been for you." Mark admitted with a grin.

Joshua shook his head. "If you really want to repay me, we'll play some cards later, but I'm pretty sure you did all of the hard work there, buddy. You're going to have to teach me how to do that someday."

Mark chuckled. "Luckily for you, that little scene was just what I needed to get back on my feet. I'd be more than happy to beat you at any game of your choosing."

"That confident, huh? Okay wise guy, let's make things more interesting. I propose an information exchange. One round, one question. Sound good?"

Mark thought for a few seconds. "Fine, but there's some questions that I'm not going to answer. You okay with that?"

Joshua nodded. "Sure. Best of five rounds, I'll deal." Joshua said.

The two sat there in silence, neither talking for fear of giving away crucial information to their opponent. Given that Joshua and Mark were still strangers to each other, it took Mark two full rounds to realize that Joshua cheated at gambling. A lot. In response, Mark started cheating back, which surprised Joshua when he eventually found out two games later, since he didn't think Mark was capable of being sly enough to cheat without him noticing. As the fourth round settled down, the two men sat there, Joshua shuffling the cards, and Mark preparing to deal.

"Since it's our last round, why don't we just go ahead and play fairly, and whoever cheats is disqualified. Deal?" Mark proposed.

Joshua thought about it. He knew that, so long as he got a good hand, he could probably beat Mark anyways, but what he really wanted to see was whether or not he could pull a fast one on his fellow mercenary. After all, he always liked to make things more interesting.

"Ah, why not. I'm in." Joshua replied.

Mark nodded in acknowledgment and dealt out their final round of cards. As they played, Joshua became more and more tempted to cheat. Finally backed into a corner, he decided that he would have to take the risk or else he would lose. In the end though, his gamble seemed to have paid off. He had won the final round.

"So that means three questions for me and two for you, right?" Joshua asked.

Mark nodded, a frown on his face. "Yes. And I already have my first one, if you don't mind me starting."

"Not at all."

"This won't disqualify you from the last round, but did you cheat? I thought I saw you cheat, but I wasn't sure." Mark replied.

"Yep, sure did. Spare card up my sleeve, switched it while I was drawing a new card." Joshua said with a grin.

Mark facepalmed. "Damn it. I knew I should have called it out."

Joshua chuckled. "Well, it's my first question. What kind of mercenary are you? I've never met someone as observant and devious as you." He paused. "Excluding myself of course."

Mark let out a snort. "Naturally. I'm just a tactician though. Sorry to disappoint you."

Joshua eyed Mark wearily. "You know we agreed to no lying."

Mark shook his head. "I'm not lying. My last employer, who is most likely going to hire me again any day now, hired me as their tactician."

Joshua rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Huh. Mind if I ask who your employer was?"

"No, sorry. The wrong people could find out about them, and I can't let that happen."

"Understandable. You just seem like the kind of guy that would be fine on the front lines, seems odd to me that you're just sitting at the back instead." Joshua admitted.

Mark shrugged. "Not particularly. While I'm not the best tactician in the world, I'm certainly no slouch. My group has plenty of capable warriors, but no one who can come up with effective strategies, so that's the role that I've been focusing on."

"I guess that makes sense." Joshua sat there for a moment, thinking about his next question. "Where'd you get that fancy cloak? It looks really expensive." Joshua asked, making sure to lower his voice for the last part to prevent any unsavory characters from overhearing.

"King Fado of Renais. I served him for a few years, and he gave this to me as a gift when I left his service. Serves as a pretty good sleeping bag too."

Joshua let out a low whistle. "Wow. Working for a king. You must be better than I could have imagined."

Mark chuckled. "Not really. I'd argue that the king just had low standards."

"I doubt it, but I'll drop the topic for now." Joshua said, changing subjects.

"Yes, I have my last question for you." Mark added.

"Go ahead." Joshua said.

"Well, It's just a thing I've noticed… Taking money from the Grado soldiers, then offering to give it back to the innkeeper… Going along with my scheme to get back the money, even though the soldiers are likely the only work in the area… You're not a normal mercenary, are you?" Mark asked.

"That's your question? Are you sure?" Joshua asked.

"I'm sure. I don't know you well enough to really ask much else, and I don't know your fighting style."

Joshua shrugged. "If you're sure. Yeah, I wouldn't classify me as a 'normal' mercenary. I've got my reasons to hate Grado, but mostly I just want to do some good for the world. Not a great priority for a merc, but I get by alright."

"Interesting. Pretty rare to hear of a mercenary with a conscience. Tell you what, when my group comes into town, I'll see if I can get my boss to recruit you if you want. I'd say that we're a pretty 'noble cause', if that's what you're looking for." Mark offered.

Joshua leaned back in his chair, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "We'll see. You let me know when they're here, and I'll see if your employer is the kind of person I'd work for." Joshua paused. "But nevermind that. I've still got one question left, and I think I know what I want to ask."

"Alright, shoot."

"How good are you at fighting? I saw that you're pretty good at running away, but what would have happened if those soldiers made you fight them?" Joshua asked.

"First of all, I'm not that good at running away; I'm kind of an awful runner. Second, if they had made me fight them, they would be on the floor unconscious right now. That's all that I'm willing to say on the subject, unfortunately." Mark replied, feeling somewhat guilty that he couldn't tell Joshua too much.

However, Joshua seemed satisfied with his answer. "Hey, I get it, you can't go around telling a potential enemy what you're capable of, right? Well, after that display, I can't say I would be too excited to go up against you."

That wasn't Mark's reason, but he was happy that Joshua had accepted his answer more easily than Eirika's group had.

"Well, I'm sure you're no pushover either. So why don't we just try and stay on the same side, alright? I think you could make for a great ally." Mark suggested.

Joshua let out a chuckle. "Assuming that we have a choice, that sounds alright. Now, how about some more cards? I'd love to give you another chance to redeem yourself." He grabbed a few coins from the coins that he'd sold from the soldiers. "You fine with betting real money?"

"Only if you're fine with being broke by the end of the day." Mark said with a smirk, reaching into his pocket to grab some money.

 **(One day later)**

Eirika's group, on the orders of the princess, had hurried forward to Serafew. Although the princess was still too injured to fight, she wanted to both catch up with Mark and find her brother as quickly as possible.

"Your highness, we must be careful. Serafew marks our first step into Grado's territory. Even though this territory used to be shared by Renais, there is little doubt that we the town will be overrun with Grado's forces now." Seth warned.

Eirika nodded her head. "I know Seth, but we have little choice. We are low on supplies, and Serafew is the only town that we have a chance of restocking at." Eirika paused, a pained expression in her eyes. "I remember when my brother and I would pass through Serafew on our way to visit Lyon… Back then, the people of Renais and Grado lived in harmony, and no walls divided the border… The town itself used to represent the trust between the two countries, but now…"

"Now it is under the control of Grado's forces." Seth admitted with a sigh.

Vanessa and Colm walked up to their leaders, having come back from their scouting expedition. "Your highness, I can report that the town is surprisingly lightly guarded." Vanessa said with a salute.

"Yeah, especially the western gate. I don't think there are any guards posted. If we need to resupply, we may be able to do it without any fighting." Colm reported.

Eirika smiled. "That's great news! Quickly everyone, let's get into town before they post a guard." She ordered.

Making their way into the town, the group could spot a group of guards in the distance, but like Colm said, none seemed to be watching the western gate.

"...The city doesn't seem very heavily patrolled. They must feel like it's not worth guarding with Castle Renais under their control. We must try not to draw attention to ourselves while we are here." Seth mused.

Just as Seth finished that thought, a strange man came up to them. "Excuse me, have you seen a young girl with indigo hair around here?" He asked.

"Um… Well, Lute over there has indigo hair, but I don't think I would call her a 'young woman'." Eirika replied.

The man frowned. "No, she's not. Thank you for your time, and I apologize for intruding." He apologized, walking away.

"There was something strange about that man…" Seth muttered.

Eirika was about to agree, when a commotion coming from the town caught her attention.

"Catch her! Don't let her escape!" Someone shouted.

"What was that?" Eirika asked.

"It's coming from over there." Colm replied, squinting towards the commotion to get a better view. "Looks like some cleric is getting chased by Grado soldiers." He reported.

"Then let's go help her. An enemy of our enemy is our friend after all." Seth commented. "Stay back princess. We'll ensure that the town is secure."

Eirika nodded reluctantly, knowing that she would only hinder their chances in her current state. It still wasn't easy for her to watch all of her friends ride into battle while she had to stay back and watch.

* * *

On the other side of the town, Natasha was running for her life. Through winding back alleys, crowds, and markets, she did anything she could to lose her pursuers.

Unfortunately, clerics weren't known for their speed, and Natasha found herself in front of a Grado soldier.

"Traitor Natasha! Surrender peacefully. Come quietly, and you may have the chance to explain yourself before His Majesty." The soldier ordered.

"Please! You don't understand! The emperor - he is not himself! You MUST be able to see that!" Natasha pleaded.

"Impugning the emperor?! We have orders to execute you if you put up any resistance, and I'd say insulting our leader counts!" The man said, charging towards Natasha.

However, as Natasha brought up her staff to try and defend herself, a man on horseback plowed into the soldier and impaled him on a spear. The red-haired man turned to face her.

"Good sister, are you unharmed?" He asked.

"Yes, but who are you, sir knight?" Natasha asked.

"I am sir Seth of Renais, in service of princess Eirika. Why has Grado branded you a traitor?"

"You're from Renais... Oh! I have something I must tell you. It's about Grado-" Natasha started, before the sound of more soldiers shouting interrupted her.

"Your story will have to wait. Grado's forces are upon us. Jump on my horse, I will take you to safety." Seth ordered, to which Natasha simply nodded and got on the back of his horse.

* * *

Meanwhile, a small group of bandits had appeared on the far end of the town, seeking to make their riches while the town was embroiled in combat.

"Look at this. Now's our chance! C'mon, lads! Let's-Urk!" The leader exclaimed, before a sword was stabbed through his chest. Pushing the corpse off his sword, Joshua stood next to Mark, blocking the only path that the bandits had into the town.

"I don't think so. Josh, want to teach these guys a lesson?" Mark asked.

"Depends. You going to fight?" Joshua replied.

"Nah. I think you'll be fine. I'll warn you if any get past you, but I think it'd be best if I stayed back. You okay with that?"

Joshua sighed, casually blocking the axe of a bandit that had gotten too impatient. "I suppose." He said, slicing open the man's neck. "You'll fight by my side soon though, right?"

Mark shrugged. "Maybe. Like I said, my group doesn't really need a fighter, they need a tactician. So that's what I'll be focusing on."

Joshua frowned, cutting off the arm of another bandit. "Alright, I guess." He stabbed that bandit through the heart.

Scanning around, Mark couldn't find any more bandits. "Well, that's the last of those guys. Let's go find my old employer, shall we? I'm pretty sure that this commotion means that they're in town somewhere."

Walking around, Joshua and Mark could see the fight as it was going on. Seth was seen near the front, barking out orders while Gilliam and Franz flanked him. However, Mark's gaze didn't linger on the battlefield for long, as he heard someone call out his name.

"Mark!" Eirika exclaimed.

Mark turned, and saw Eirika being treated by some cleric woman by the western gate. Mark ran over to them, followed closely by Joshua.

"Eirika, good to see that you're alive and well, but are you sure that you should be so close to a battlefield?" Mark asked.

This earned a glare from the princess and an eye-roll from the cleric, indicating to Mark that this question had already been asked. "I'm fine Mark. I don't like sitting back and letting others risk their life for me. That being said, my ribs are still too much of a problem for me to fight effectively, so I listened to Seth's advice and stayed out of the way. But how about you? Have you been well?"

Mark nodded. "Yep. Had a nice little break in town. Met us a new friend." He said, indicating towards Joshua, who nodded.

"Hey there. You must be the employer that Mark told me about." Joshua commented.

"I suppose I am. What is your name sir?" Eirika asked.

"I'm no 'sir', but my name is Joshua. Mercenary from Jehanna, but I have no love for Grado." Joshua explained briefly. "I had myrmidon training under a swordmaster when I lived in Jehanna, so I know my way around the sword."

"A pleasure to meet you Joshua. I am Princess Eirika of Renais, and I'm trying to locate my brother, Prince Ephraim. I don't suppose you would have a lead as to where he might be?"

Joshua blinked in shock, and then turned to Mark, mouth open in shock.

"You work for the princess?! Why didn't you tell me that BEFORE I started talking to her?!" Joshua exclaimed incredulously, eliciting a chuckle from Eirika and the cleric lady, and causing Mark to howl in laughter.

"Hahaha! I didn't tell you… Because I wanted to see your reaction! So, does our cause sound like one you'd join, Josh?" Mark asked, smiling from ear to ear and attempting to hold back his laughs.

"Yeah, yeah, wise guy… I'll get you back for this." Joshua grumbled.

"What are you talking about? This is me getting back at YOU for cheating yesterday." Mark said, face changing to his trademark goofy grin.

"Fine. Whatever. In answer to your question, **your highness**." Joshua said, giving a brief glare at Mark, who gave another chuckle in response. "All I know about your brother's whereabouts is that he was deep in Grado territory. I don't think Grado themselves know where he is right now though, so that probably means that he's safe."

Eirika gave a sigh of relief. "Thank you. It does me good to hear-"

Suddenly, Mark pushed the cleric to the side, and a hand axe whizzed by Eirika's head, landing right where the cleric had been. Looking in the direction of the projectile, Joshua barely had enough time to deflect another hand axe from hitting him. Rushing towards the soldier that was aiming for their group, Joshua closed the distance faster than Eirika had believed possible, dodging axes at blinding speed. When he reached his opponent, he wasted no time in quickly disarming the man, followed by a quick slash across the neck. Mark and Eirika quickly scanned the area for any other soldiers. Finding none, Mark started ushering the small group towards an area that had enough cover for all of them.

"That was close. Are you okay there?" Mark asked the cleric.

"Yes I am sir Mark. Thank you for saving me." The woman replied with a smile.

"Good to hear. What is your name, if I may ask?"

"Sister Natasha of Grado. I was rescued by sir Seth after being accused of treason." Natasha explained.

Eirika nodded. "Apparently, her master was executed to keep him silent about the emperor's plans, and when they found out Natasha was also aware, they tried to kill her as well."

Mark raised an eyebrow. "Really? We know the emperor's plan? What is it?"

"The emperor… Was always a kind and gentle man. But one day, he changed. For whatever reason, he seems obsessed with destroying the sacred stones, which keep us safe from the demon king's forces. The day my mentor died, he told me that the guardians of the sacred stones must be warned, and I tried to slip across the border, but I was spotted…" Natasha explained.

Mark rubbed his chin. "Have you told this to sir Seth?" He asked.

"Yes she has." A familiar voice said. Spinning around, Mark recognized the crimson-haired rider as Seth. "Greetings, tactician." He said, as emotionlessly as possible.

"Hey there Seth!" Mark exclaimed, trying to counteract Seth's sombre attitude with an overly-cheery one, earning a chuckle from both Joshua and Eirika. "So, what do YOU think of sister Natasha's story?"

Seth grit his teeth. "I believe that we can trust no one from Grado without proof, though she was genuinely being pursued by Grado's forces, so she is certainly not an ally of theirs. That being said, if what she says is true…" He trailed off.

"If she's right, we're looking at a world-ending disaster here." Mark said, temporarily dropping his cheerful act.

The surrounding members of Eirika's group all widened their eyes at the sudden realization. They knew that their mission was important, but the fact that they might be the force that could potentially stop a disaster was something else altogether.

"That being said, we're not sure whether or not this IS true, so until we have substantial evidence to support it, our priority is still Ephraim." Mark stated, earning an affirmative nod from Eirika.

"Indeed. And now that we've eliminated the occupation force, we can secure supplies. Shall we go?" Eirika asked.

Mark shook his head. "No point. I've already taken the liberty of grabbing what we need. There's a few crates at a tavern not far from here. If someone brings the wagon around, I'll load it up with Gilliam and Franz." Mark said.

"I'll get the cart." Moulder volunteered, and with that, the group dispersed.

* * *

After the wagon was loaded, the group quickly departed before news of their activities could reach the Grado army. They travelled for the rest of the day in silence, taking as many back roads as possible to avoid Grado's reach. Eventually, they found a spot where they felt comfortable resting for the night at, and the small group set up camp. As soon as the tents were set up, Mark went out with Eirika to gather firewood.

"Are your injuries feeling better?" Mark asked, breaking the silence.

"Yes, thanks to father Moulder and sister Natasha. Though I was in a coma for about a day and a half." Eirika admitted.

"So did we ever figure out what happened back there? I mean, one minute you ordered me to leave, and then when I get back, the horde of monsters that you were fighting were dead, and Seth seemed to think that someone else did it?" Mark asked, trying to play up the act that he didn't know anything.

Eirika frowned. She had hoped that Mark would come clean about his role that night, but it appeared as if she would have to drag the truth out of him. "You see Mark, about that-" She started, only to be interrupted by the sound of a twig snapping. Whirling her head around, she saw that Seth was there.

"Evening milady. Tactician." Seth started. "Princess, I don't suppose you would let me talk to Mark alone, would you?" Seth requested.

Eirika frowned. She had a pretty good idea what Seth was going to talk to Mark about, but she knew that Seth wouldn't talk about it with her around, and she needed to be around to stop him from doing anything too rash.

"Very well sir Seth. I will leave you to your privacy." She lied, walking just out of sight of the two.

Mark could very clearly see her, but it appeared that Seth trusted his liege to keep her word, for his attention focused back on the tactician almost instantly.

"I told you what would happen if I ever saw you near the princess again." Seth said dryly.

"Yep." Was Mark's reply, which made Seth's eye twitch in frustration.

"And yet you did so anyways, knowing full well that I would punish you for your actions."

"Pretty much, yeah."

Seth closed his eyes and took a deep breath. "Very well then." He said, slowly unsheathing his sword. But just as he was about to attack the unarmed man, Eirika rushed out of her hiding place.

"Seth, stop!" She exclaimed, causing Seth to flinch, but the man did not sheath his sword. "Why are you still trying to hurt Mark?"

"Your highness, this man abandoned you to your fate while you were surrounded and horribly outnumbered. Even if you did order his retreat, it does not change the fact that you could have died. What he did was nothing short of an act of treason, for he abandoned a member of the royal family in their time of need." Seth stated.

"But-" Eirika started.

"He's kind of right Eirika." Mark said, earning a shocked look from both the princess and Seth. "Look, I don't feel proud of what I did. It was the cowardly thing to do, and I've regretted it ever since that night."

"But that's not true at all!" Eirika exclaimed. "You're the one that saved me!"

"Milady, I would hardly call alerting us 'saving'-" Seth started.

Eirika shook her head violently. "No. I remember. Right before I went unconscious, I heard Mark's voice say 'wrong move', and then I saw a man in a green cloak walk towards the monsters, sword in hand. I'm almost sure that Mark was the one that saved me, but I don't know how he could have gotten to camp and back so quickly."

Seth turned to Mark, eyes wide in shock at the revelation. The tactician in question was currently a nervous mess, which just cemented Eirika's claim.

"Is this true?" Seth asked.

Mark gulped nervously, looking between the two, before finally realizing that there was no point hiding the truth anymore. He sighed. "Yeah, it was me." Mark admitted.

"But why didn't you say so earlier?!" Seth exclaimed. "I wouldn't have tried to expel you from our group if I knew that you were the one to save the princess!"

"Look, I have my reasons, but the main one is that I really, really don't want to fight if it can be avoided. Like I said, my fighting style is really unique, and I would attract a lot of attention that I don't want. Also, my little stunt back there had… Negative consequences on my personal health." Mark explained.

Eirika nodded, understanding Mark's reasoning. "But how did you manage to get to camp and back so quickly?" Eirika asked.

Mark sighed, before reaching into one of his coat pockets and grabbing something. Opening his fist, Eirika and Seth could see a handful of purple powder.

"This is called warp powder. It allows its user to teleport. Dark mages have an easier time using it, so they use up less of the stuff and can travel farther with it. I don't have much, and I don't know where to get more, so I needed to limit my usage of the stuff." Mark explained.

"You can use dark magic?" Seth asked.

Mark shook his head. "Not right now, no. I'm horribly inefficient with the it, so I can't go too far, and I use up way too much per teleport, so I need about a handful per 'jump'." Mark explained, putting the purple powder back in the pocket of his coat.

"How much do you have left?" Eirika asked.

"Enough for about 20 or so jumps."

"Fine. I suppose that is believable enough, but didn't you also say to us that you 'didn't kill'?" Seth asked.

"Well, yeah, but those things weren't alive. Mostly. The only monster there that was still alive was the eyeball monster. The rest were just corpses infused with dark magic." Mark explained.

Eirika nodded, seemingly satisfied. She then shot Seth a glare, which caused him to hang his head in resignation.

Sighing, Seth said "Tactician, I must apologize for my behavior. You did not deserve the way that I treated you, and I hope that you can find it in yourself to forgive me."

Mark gave his trademark grin. "No problem sir Seth. You didn't actually hurt me, and I'm still here, so I don't bear any ill will towards you."

Seth wasn't satisfied with Mark's answer. "Be that as it may be, I have wronged you. If you need anything from me, you need only ask, and I will be sure to repay you for how I treated you." Seth said.

With his piece said, Seth bowed once towards the princess of Renais, and then gave a slighter bow towards Mark, then walked away before Mark could protest.

"Why is everyone calling me 'sir' Mark all of a sudden?" Mark asked Eirika, who simply shrugged in response.

"Not sure, but it suits you. And thank you Mark, for what you did back on the bridge. It seems that you are no slouch with a sword." Eirika said with a serene smile.

Mark shook his head. "I don't need thanks for that princess. I abandoned you, and I would have felt awful if you had died. Think nothing of it."

Eirika rolled her eyes at Mark's refusal of her thanks. "No, you deserve it. I had abandoned any hope that I would live, and then you came by and saved me. If that doesn't deserve thanks, I don't know what does."

Mark sighed in defeat. "Fine, fine. But in all due honesty, if I hadn't been training you so hard, I'm sure you could have handled them just fine yourself." He said with a grin.

Eirika laughed. "Perhaps." She admitted.

As they continued gathering firewood, Eirika remembered the nightmare that she'd had that morning. While she was still not completely comfortable with the idea of sleeping on Mark's lap, she most certainly didn't want another nightmare like that one again.

"U-Um… Mark?" Eirika managed to stutter out.

"Yes Eirika?" Mark asked, unaware of Eirika's current internal crisis.

"Would you mind if I… Slept on your lap again?" The princess asked timidly. "It's just… I had the worst nightmare last night, and you helped with that back in Frelia… But you don't have to if you don't want to! I mean, I don't want to order you to do something you don't want to, so I understand if-" Eirika quickly said, obviously flustered, before she realised that Mark had started laughing. Glaring at the man, she waited to see what his reaction would be.

Finally getting out of his laughing fit, Mark wiped a tear out of his eye. "Sorry Eirika, that was just too cute." That caused Eirika to blush. "But yeah, of course you can. Just come on over to my tent when you're ready to sleep, and I'll be ready. But if you don't mind me asking, what was your nightmare about?"

Eirika thought about telling Mark, but she feared that he would believe that she didn't trust him, which was as far from the truth as it could get. After knowing that Mark had defended her, and apparently willingly hurt himself for her safety, Eirika actually trusted him more than she did Seth, who seemed perfectly fine with disobeying her orders for her own safety, while Mark seemingly obeyed her orders no matter what.

"I would rather not say. They are somewhat personal in nature." Eirika lied, and even though Mark could tell that she wasn't telling the truth, he knew that she probably had a good reason for lying, so he dropped the subject.

"All right. Let's get back to camp with this firewood." Mark suggested.

* * *

As the night progressed, Joshua was introduced to the rest of the group, who quickly learned that the only person who didn't seem to lose much money gambling with the crimson-haired mercenary was Mark, and even then, Mark would be the first to admit that he lost more games against their newest recruit than he won. Joshua quickly found himself out of people to play cards with, which he was okay with for now, but he would have to stop at some taverns on their way to finding the prince of Renais to cheat some unsuspecting fools out of their money.

Honestly, Mark was impressed that Joshua hadn't been killed by someone he'd cheated out of their money. It spoke volumes both of his skill as a mercenary, and also of his ability to outrun angry bar patrons.

As the night came to a close, Mark found himself in his tent, where he sat down and folded his cloak neatly on his lap, awaiting the arrival of the cyan-haired princess. Eventually, Eirika entered his tent, though when she did, Joshua started grinning from ear to ear, finally having something that he could use against Mark the next day.

Seeing that Eirika was blushing, Mark asked if anything was wrong, to which Eirika shook her head, only further confusing the tactician. After a few moments of composing herself, Eirika rested her head on Mark's lap and fell asleep within minutes.

Upon seeing that Eirika was asleep, Mark pulled up a pillow, and propped it on a chair that he had placed in his room. Resting his head against his pillow, Mark reached into his coat and grabbed a small vial of a strange liquid. Uncorking the top, Mark downed the entire vial in one go, which elicited a shudder from Mark.

 _It tastes awful… But if it means no more nightmares, I'll drink a barrel and ask for more._ Mark thought to himself, drifting off into a dreamless sleep.

Hours later, Seth barged into the tent to ask Mark if he'd seen the princess anywhere. Upon discovering the duo in such a state, Seth had half a mind to wake them up and move them, if it weren't for Eirika's peaceful expression. Smiling, Seth exited the tent.

 _Treat her well Mark… I may no longer be her closest friend, but I believe that you may hold that title sooner than you'd think._ Seth thought to himself.

 **A/N:**

 **Whew! That was a doozy. So yeah, Joshua's here! He's one of my favorite characters in any fire emblem game, so expect to see a lot of him.**

 **Also, I came to the realisation that I can't effectively juggle so many different characters, so I'm probably only going to focus on a few pairings, and have everything else kind of slip into the background.**

 **...Of course, that's what people normally seem to do in these things, so I guess that's not too unexpected.**

 **Also, loving the reviews! It makes me happy that so many people like what I'm writing, and it helps motivate me to keep going, so feel free to keep leaving them!**


	8. Unbroken hearts & Victims of war

At a forest near Castle Renvall, Ephraim's mind kept wandering back to his family. He had not seen them in some time, and now he was hearing whispers that the invasion had managed to progress at an unnaturally fast pace, which only caused him to worry for their safety more. However, the prince of Renais knew that his actions in Grado would help delay their forces and keep his family safe, so he tried his hardest to keep thoughts of his family out of his mind for now.

Upon hearing the sound of horse's hooves, Ephraim readied his lance, preparing for an enemy ambush, but relaxed upon seeing that it was only two of his loyal knights, Forde and Kyle.

"Greetings, you two. How is the situation in Renais?" Ephraim inquired.

Forde shook his head. "Not good, I'm afraid." He admitted with a grimace.

"Word of mouth has it that the capital has already fallen, but we couldn't hear anything about whether or not the princess or the king lives." Kyle admitted apologetically.

Ephraim took a deep breath. It was the worst-case scenario, but there was still a slight hope that his family lived. "I have confidence that they are safe. My father will not surrender so easily, and my sister is strong. Our efforts here will help distract their troops and give my father and sister enough time to escape." Ephraim said, trying to sound confident, when in reality he was panicking internally. "Speaking of which, how are our supplies?"

"Unfortunately, the news there is even worse. We will soon be out of food, and we have completely exhausted our supply of spare weapons. What we have on us is all we have left. We could always restock at a nearby village-" Forde started, before Ephraim cut him off with a wave.

"No, we cannot do that. Any village that we enter would only be hounded by Grado's forces, and the people would suffer for our actions. We will find another way." Ephraim stated with finality.

"Yeah, I knew you'd say that. I mean, it's because of stuff like that that we've stuck with you so far" Forde said, smirking.

"Well spoken, my prince." Kyle said with a soft smile. "But what is our next move?"

"Well, Orson should be back from scouting any minute now…" Ephraim trailed off, hearing the familiar sound of horse hooves yet again. Appearing next to their small gathering was a paladin with a green cape and messy brown hair, and though he carried himself as proudly as ever, the other members of the small group knew that he had received a grievous wound in their last fight.

"I'm here, Prince Ephraim. I can confirm Grado presence at several points around our camp. Also, a large battalion of soldiers has been dispatched from Renvall. We shouldn't tarry here any longer than necessary…" Orson reported.

Ephraim nodded. "All I needed to hear. Alright everyone, we're taking Castle Renvall" Ephraim ordered, walking in the direction of the castle and leaving his friends behind, stunned at his sudden declaration.

Urging their horses towards the prince's, Forde was the first one to recover from their commander's newest scheme.

"Um. Excuse me for saying this, my prince… But are you quite sane? We are but four men, and to take down a castle would require an entire army!" Forde exclaimed.

"Forde! Do not question the prince's orders!" Kyle chastised, though in truth, he was thinking along the same lines as his rival.

"Please Kyle, it's fine. Forde, I haven't lost ALL sense of self-preservation. Renvall is important to Grado's defence. If we can take it over and hold it, even for a little while, then Grado will waste many valuable soldiers to try and take it back, which should buy my family more time to escape. I believe that we have a good chance of taking on Renvall." Ephraim explained.

"Really? How so?" Forde asked.

"Well, quite simply put, since a majority of Grado's troops are trying to find us, and we have such a small group, the enemy likely thinks that our assaulting the castle would be equivalent to suicide. With that in mind, and knowing that they are desperate to try and capture us, they likely are putting a majority of their forces towards searching for us, leaving their fortress less defended than ever. If we strike quickly, we should have a good chance of succeeding."

Forde nodded in understanding. "I guess that makes sense. Either way, we can't keep running forever, and we're running out of supplies… We've got nothing to lose, so this might be our only option left."

"Pretty much. Let's go. We have to move quickly if we are to take them by surprise." Ephraim ordered. And with that, the small group charged towards the castle, ready to show its inhabitants the finest talent that Renais had to offer.

* * *

Eirika woke up. Blinking away the drowsiness, she got up and stretched her arms. Looking around, the princess quickly panicked, noting that she was not in her tent. Looking back where she slept, Eirika saw Mark was sleeping against a chair. Blushing furiously, Eirika realized that he hadn't taken her back to her tent as he had back in Frelia.

 _It's not a big deal or anything… He doesn't view this as anything intimate anyways._ Eirika reassured herself, though that didn't make the red on her face fade away at all.

Eirika's attention was caught by the sight of what appeared to be a small flask of some kind of potion by Mark's hand. Picking it up, EIrika could see small traces of some form of green liquid.

 _Strange… Does Mark need medication? But why wouldn't he have mentioned it before if he did?_ Eirika wondered.

Deciding that the best course of action was to just let Mark rest, Eirika exited the tactician's tent to find that it was just past dawn. A few members of their group were out and training, so Eirika decided that she should do the same. She wanted to test out the maneuvers that Mark had shown her in a spar, but that required her to get clearance from either Natasha or Moulder first. Walking towards the medical tent, she heard someone's voice.

"...told you that you're supposed to stay behind me. What were you thinking, going off on your own?!" Eirika could hear Colm saying.

Entering the medical tent, Eirika saw Colm sitting next to a bed that Neimi was currently occupied. Colm appeared furious, and Neimi appeared on the brink of… Scratch that, Neimi was crying. Moulder was sitting on the other side, and let out a loud sigh.

"I-I… I saw that a bandit was going after you… And I just didn't want you to get hurt…" Neimi explained.

Colm looked extremely conflicted, before giving an exasperated sigh of his own. "Look Neimi, I appreciate the gesture… But I'll be fine. The whole reason why I stay in front of you is because you panic whenever someone gets close to you. I can dodge their hits, but I can't look out for you at the same time, okay? Just let me know whenever someone's sneaking up on me, and I'll give you the space you need to help me out." Colm said, giving Neimi a rare smile. "I'll stay with you until you're better though, so don't worry about getting bored."

Neimi blushed, and stopped crying, whereas Moulder rolled his eyes and got up from his seat. Upon seeing Eirika, he grabbed his staff.

"Greetings, your majesty. Are you here to get your wound checked on?" Moulder asked.

Eirika nodded in response.

"Good. Let's go outside." He said, ushering the princess out of the medical tent. "Now, you were almost completely healed yesterday, so I just need you to do some stretches and exercises and tell me if you feel any pain, alright?"

Nodding again, Eirika unsheathed her sword and started to perform basic drills. Every once in awhile, Eirika would feel a sharp pain in her chest, after which Moulder would heal the area with his staff. Once Moulder was satisfied, he gave Eirika the all-clear and let the princess go on her way, and she went out to try and find someone to spar with.

Just as she was leaving Moulder, Mark was waking up. Looking down, he noted that Eirika wasn't there and concluded that the princess must have woken up already. He stared at the bottle in his hands.

 _It was supposed to give me good dreams… But I'll take a dreamless sleep over those nightmares any day of the week._ He thought to himself.

Sighing, Mark walked out of his tent and squinted at the sunlight that greeted him. Walking over to the fire, the tactician noted that Joshua was sitting by the fire as two people that Mark didn't recognize sat with him, the auburn-haired male cooking what Mark could only assume was breakfast.

"Morning, everyone." Mark greeted.

The two that Mark didn't recognize nodded in greeting, but Joshua turned and gave him a strange smile that Mark couldn't identify. It didn't look good for Mark though.

"...What's that look for?" Mark asked.

"Oh, no reason. I just noticed that a certain princess happened to be going into your tent last night. Now what exactly could she have needed there, hmm?" Joshua asked, grinning madly.

Mark nodded in response, completely unaware of what Joshua was hinting at. "Yeah, Eirika was having nightmares, so I let her sleep with her head on my lap. Why?"

Joshua raised his eyebrows at the bluntness of Mark's statement, while the man who had been cooking dropped his wooden spoon into the boiling pot of water that he had been stirring. While he desperately tried to get the spoon back out of the pot, his female companion was intently studying both Joshua and the cook, seemingly curious at the two male's strange mannerisms.

"I'm sorry, she slept on your LAP?!" Joshua exclaimed incredulously.

Mark slowly nodded. "Yeah… My sister used to do that with me all the time when she had nightmares. Why, is that not common in Magvel?"

Joshua just stared at Mark in disbelief, he looked at the cook to see if he was hearing Mark correctly, and the man seemed to share Joshua's opinion on the situation.

"Um. Mark, don't you think that what you just described is kind of... Intimate?" Joshua suggested more than asked.

Mark rubbed his chin in contemplation. "Not especially. It was completely practical. Although she was acting strange about it when we left Frelia…"

The woman sitting by the fire decided to speak up then. "I for one see no reason to assume that the gesture was intimate. If what Mark is saying is true about Eirika having nightmares, then it is much more likely that the act is completely platonic in nature, especially if it has had an effect on the princess' nightmares. I wonder if it would be the same if it was anyone's lap or if it is just Mark's that has that effect…" She mused.

Mark nodded in agreement. "Yes, thank you miss…" He trailed off.

"Lute. You were not present when I was introduced, but I am a magical prodigy. You will not find a better mage than me." Lute proclaimed.

Mark nodded his head. "We'll see about that. I've met some pretty good mages in my time." Mark said with a coy smile.

Joshua, however, was still exasperated that his plan to embarrass Mark had failed simply because the man seemed incredibly dense. Shooting a look at Artur, he only received a shrug in response, though Joshua could tell that the man had just about given up on this particular conversation. Suddenly, Joshua came to a realisation. If Mark had already talked to Eirika about this… Was she as dense about the situation that they put themselves in? If so, he probably needed to talk to her about it, and if she was aware and hadn't told Mark… Oh, he would be sure to tease her about it. He grinned at the thought. It wasn't every day that you got to embarrass a princess…

As Joshua excused himself, Mark decided to spend the time to talk to Lute and the other new recruit.

"I don't believe we've been formally introduced. My name is Mark, and I'm the tactician of this little group." Mark said with a warming smile.

"Yes, her highness told us about you while you were gone. She claimed you were the best tactician she's ever seen." Lute explained.

Mark scratched the back of his head. "Then I'm afraid Eirika hasn't seen too many tacticians… I haven't done anything too special."

"Don't sell yourself too short Sir Mark, your mission, from what we've been informed, has been very dangerous, and you've not only managed to keep all of your charges alive, you've also saved the lives of innocents on the way." The man that was cooking explained.

"That's kind of you to say, but even so, I still have a way to go before I'll consider myself a good tactician. By the way, could I ask for your name sir?" Mark asked, trying to change the subject.

"My name is Artur. I joined with my friend Lute here, and I'm a light mage." Artur said with a smile.

"Really? A light mage?" Mark asked, eyes widening slightly.

"Yes, really. Why do you ask?"

"Well it's just… I've always wanted to learn light magic… I don't suppose you'd be willing to teach me?" Mark asked.

Artur raised an eyebrow at the unexpected question. "I suppose I could… But don't you need to focus on your strategies?"

Mark shook his head. "No, we have very little intel on what to expect, and this is still the fastest route towards where the last reports of Prince Ephraim came from, so nothing much has changed from when we left Frelia. If I tried to make battle plans now, I'd just end up trying to plan for everything, which is impossible. It would be better for me to train with the others so that I can know their strengths and weaknesses, so I'd like to use that time to learn something new." He explained.

Artur nodded. "That seems fair. I am nowhere near a master of light magic though; I can only give you basic training. You will have to pursue the rest on your own."

"That's fine. I've just never had a chance to learn it before, and I'd like to. When you're done with breakfast, would you mind giving me my first lesson?" Mark suggested.

"Yes, I believe that should be fine for me. When did we want to start marching again?" Artur asked.

"Well, Neimi is in no condition to move, but Moulder assured us that she'd be fine in a few hours, so we'll leave when she's healed up enough to ride on a horse."

"Very well. I should be done with breakfast momentarily. We shall start afterwards." Artur decided.

Mark nodded in acknowledgment, while Lute seemed to be staring intently at Artur, as if analyzing his cooking methods. Mark wasn't entirely sure what she was doing, but so long as Artur didn't complain, he assumed that it wasn't anything particularly harmful.

Meanwhile, across camp, Eirika and Franz had been sparring for quite some time, and Franz was starting to get disheartened from fighting the princess. From the training she had done with Mark, she still remembered the movements that Mark had beat into her head, and fighting Franz was good practice for integrating those movements into her own personal style. However, unknown to Eirika was that the sparring session was quickly destroying Franz's self-confidence. He had the advantage of reach with his lance, and yet Eirika was somehow able to use that to her advantage. It was somewhat daunting to the cavalier, and he believed that it was more his ineptitude than any special training on Eirika's part. However, the knight was saved from any further disgrace when Joshua came up to the duel.

"Princess. Mind if I have a word?" Joshua asked.

Eirika quickly disarmed the distracted Franz and turned to face Joshua. "Certainly. Would you mind if we sparred while we did so? I've been unable to do any training for several days. That is, if Franz is fine with us putting our sparring match on hold."

"I'm fine, your highness. I think I'll go train with Sir Seth for now." Franz said, walking off to get more tips from Seth on how to improve his lance form, which Franz was convinced was far too sloppy to be used.

Joshua unsheathed his sword and rushed at Eirika, who blocked his attack. As the two continued to spar, Joshua decided to open up the conversation that he wanted to have with the princess.

"So I noticed you went into Mark's tent last night…" Joshua started with a grin.

That comment alone was enough to cause Eirika's eyes to widen and her face to turn crimson. She was so caught off-guard that she almost didn't block Joshua's next strike. Luckily for the princess, Joshua was more interested in her answer than their duel anyways, so he started holding back once he saw that she was trying to find her words.

"Y-yes… Yes, I was. Why, is there something wrong with that?" Eirika asked innocently, trying to feign ignorance.

Joshua shrugged. "Oh, no reason." He said, blocking another strike from the princess. "After all, it's fairly common for lovers to spend the night together, no?"

Eirika was taking a step towards the mercenary at the time, only to trip on nothing at Joshua's last comments. "We-we're not…We're not…" Eirika stammered out, slowly getting up from the ground.

"Oh really? But then do tell me princess, why did you go into Mark's tent last night?" Joshua said, resting a hand on his chin, as if he didn't already know, but his grin told a completely different story.

Eirika narrowed her eyes at the mercenary, her face still the same color as the man's hair. "I was… Sleeping on his lap… To get rid of my nightmares." She explained.

Joshua nodded his head. "Yeah, Mark told me as much, but I couldn't picture the princess of Renais in a situation so… intimate… with someone that she met so recently. It's been what, a month, maybe two, since you've met Mark? You certainly work fast, princess." Joshua said with yet another insufferable smirk.

Eirika continued to glare at Joshua. "As I was trying to say, it's not like that! Mark is a close friend, and he offered to help me with my nightmares. What is so wrong with that?" She exclaimed, raising her voice slightly.

Joshua chuckled. "Just some things that I'm seeing. I doubt I'm the only one, but it's hard to tease Mark about this stuff, so I'm practicing with you. Tell you what princess, since I seem to have embarrassed you, I'll tell you your fortune as repayment."

Caught off guard, Eirika raised an eyebrow. "You can tell fortunes?" She asked.

Joshua nodded his head, a grin still plastered on his face. "Sure can. It's pretty simple really. Here, I'll predict your love life, since that's what we've been talking about." Eirika blushed again, and was about to refuse when Joshua continued. "I have a coin in my hand right now. I'll flip it towards you, and you catch it. If it's heads when you flip it face-up, then your fortune says you'll end up with Mark. If it's tails, then I was wrong, and you'll end up with someone else. Sound good? Okay!" Joshua exclaimed, not waiting for a response.

Joshua flipped the coin, causing it to arc gracefully int Eirika's open palm. Shaking, Eirika opened her palm. She started blushing, and Joshua kept his smile. Flipping the coin over, Eirika froze.

"Joshua?" Eirika asked, voice laced with fury.

"Mhmmm?" Joshua replied, still giving an insufferable smile.

"Run." Eirika said, unsheathing her rapier.

Joshua took off in the opposite direction, laughing hysterically while being chased by the princess of Renais. Along the way, they passed by everyone else in camp.

"Huh. Is Eirika starting her running training with Josh? I told her that I'd join her when she started." Mark pondered out loud, while Artur tried his best to stifle a laugh.

 _Honestly… I'm surrounded by children._ Moulder thought to himself.

Eventually the camp was packed up, and Eirika refused to go anywhere near Joshua, who was still chuckling from his previous interaction with the princess. As the group wandered near where Eirika and Joshua were training, Colm stopped to pick something up. When he looked it over, Eirika paled when she realized what it was.

"That's weird…" Colm mused. "Why does this gold coin have heads on both sides?"

What further confused everyone else was when Joshua started howling with laughter at Colm's question.

* * *

"You sure you don't want to talk about it?"

"Mark, I said that I'm fine."

"But Eirika-"

"Mark? Drop it. Please?

Mark sighed. He had no idea why Eirika had been so silent on their march that day. He knew that it had something to do with Joshua, judging from the glares that she gave the mercenary every once in awhile.

"Well then… Did I mention that I'm getting Artur to teach me light magic?" Mark asked, trying to initiate any kind of conversation rather than continuing to suffer in silence.

"Really? I didn't know that you wanted to be a mage." Eirika responded in mild surprise.

Mark scratched the back of his head. "Well, I don't, not really. But Seth gave me a report of Artur's combat prowess when he defended the camp, and apparently his light magic was devastating on the monsters, so I figured that if we ever run across them again, having another person who can use light magic would help us immensely."

Eirika gave Mark the first smile that Mark had seen her give since camp. "There you go again Mark, always thinking ahead. But tell me, do you truly think that we'll face those… Monsters again?"

Mark nodded. "I talked with Lute, and apparently they highly resemble creatures from the days of the demon king." At the mention of the demon king, Eirika's face paled. "That, combined with Natasha's story about Grado trying to destroy the sacred stones… I don't like where this is going, Eirika."

Eirika grimaced. "I see what you're implying, but if the demon king is truly gaining power, what will we do about it?"

Mark shrugged. "I'm still doing research on that. After we rescue your brother, I'll have to do some research in Frelia's library on the demon king."

Eirika smiled at that. "Confident much? It's not an 'if' for you, is it? You are certain that we will be successful in rescuing my brother?"

Mark nodded. "Of course. We have quite the group. I would be hard-pressed to think of a way that Grado could take us out." He turned to Eirika, a grin plastered on his face. "It helps that we have a great leader."

Eirika blushed slightly at the compliment. After what Joshua had said that morning, she was much more sensitive when it came to Mark's comments about her. "Perhaps, but I believe that our tactician is just as important to our strength as I am." She replied.

Mark chuckled. "It's kind of you to say that Eirika, but…" Mark said, before narrowing his eyes at the road in front of him. "When did we we enter a fog? The area was clear a few moments ago." Mark said.

Eirika looked around. The entire group was covered in fog. Even the area behind them was covered, completely obscuring the path that they had travelled from.

"Everyone stay close! I don't like the looks of this…" Mark ordered.

"Hey! I see someone through the fog!" Colm whispered back to Mark.

Mark nodded, and signaled for everyone to keep their weapons at the ready. The area in front of them had much less fog, and the group started to see the figure of a man in robes standing in the middle of the road.

"Hahaha!" The man laughed. "Princess Eirika of Renais! Accept your fate. You have nowhere to run!"

Looking around, Mark realized that the man was telling the truth. "Damn it, he's right. We're surrounded." Mark noted grimly.

"What?!" Eirika exclaimed. She looked around and confirmed what Mark had stated. Looking back at the man on the road, she frowned. "Who are you?" She asked.

"Hmm… You're just as beautiful as I've heard…" The man said, practically drooling, which caused Eirika to feel very uncomfortable. "And you're wearing your bracelet. Marvelous. I don't suppose you would be willing to gift me such a lovely trinket?"

Seth and Mark's eyes widened at the mention of Eirika's bracelet, but since they had not told her the importance of her small accessory, Eirika was just confused.

"My… Bracelet? Why do you want it?" She asked, suspicious now of what the man's intentions were.

"His Majesty desires it. That's reason enough. Once I present it to him, he will make me a general, and I will be famous. Come, hand it over. Do it quickly, and I'll let you live." The man said, growing impatient.

"Yeah, no dice. Eirika, please tell me you're not actually going to give your bracelet to this guy." Mark interrupted.

Eirika shook her head. "Of course not. I have no reason to give my enemy anything of mine, no matter how small it may be."

"Obedience will save you pain. You came all this way to aid Prince Ephraim, have you not? A fool's errand. Ephraim fell before the empire's might. As we speak he wastes away in a cell in Renvall, meekly awaiting his execution." The man sneered.

"What! That can't be… No, my brother is too strong for that. You are lying." Eirika reassured herself.

The man gave an evil smirk. "Protest all you like. It doesn't change the truth. Ephraim was lost, and it was Grado that defeated him!"

Eirika was silent. As much as she wanted to believe that her brother was undefeatable, she knew that the odds were stacked against him quite severely.

"Unlikely." Mark said, causing everyone to turn towards the tactician. "Even if you did manage to defeat Ephraim in combat - which I doubt, since Ephraim is an extremely skilled strategist - he is a warrior through and through. The odds of you managing to take him alive are slim." Mark paused. "Now, while I admit that this leaves the possibility that he could be killed, you tried to claim that he was your prisoner, causing us to rush ahead into a trap. Good plan, though a little basic." Mark taunted, deliberately trying to get a rise out of the shaman, which seemed to be working.

"... Fine, the prince is dead. I suppose there's no point in hiding that anymore." The man said with a grin.

Eirika looked at Mark, who returned her gaze and shook his head with an amused smile.

"If Ephraim was actually dead, then he would have started out with that. This guy wants fame; it would be far easier to kill us while we're demoralized than to use a plan that doesn't involve him getting any of the glory." Mark whispered to Eirika, who looked relieved that Mark still believed that her brother was alive.

"... You're not going to give me the bracelet, are you? Very well. Bring the girl to me!" The man ordered.

Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and a small child appeared next to the hooded man. She had a cloth wrapped tightly around her mouth, preventing her from speaking. As it was, she could only manage to let loose muffled screams. Eirika gritted her teeth at the sight.

"As you can see here, I have a citizen of your disgusting country. If you do not give me the bracelet, then she dies. Understand, princess?" The man asked.

Eirika looked torn for a second, but looking down at her bracelet and then back at the girl, she made up her mind.

"Alright… You win. But I must have your word that the girl will not be harmed." Eirika said, walking forward a few steps, only to throw the bracelet down the road and into the waiting arms of the Grado soldier on the road. The man examined the bracelet more closely.

"Yes, yes. There is no mistaking it… I will be promoted higher than Riev before the night is over! Now, hand over all of your weapons. Quickly, or the girl dies!" The man demanded.

"No. Handing over our weapons would be equivalent to committing suicide. You will not have them." Seth stated firmly, hand on his lance for emphasis.

"I see years of peace and idleness have not dulled the wits of all Renais's knights. Well then, my hostage has no more use to me, does she? Ah, such a waste. Wait a moment... I've just had a delicious idea. Have you heard of the giant spiders prowling about this region? They'd appreciate a nice, hot meal, wouldn't you agree?" The man suggested, a sadistic smile creeping across his face at the thought of the small girl and her family screaming for help as spiders descended upon them.

"You can't-" Eirika started, before the girl was whisked away in a flash of light. Eirika stood there, knees shaking, as the man laughed with glee. "Why… Why would you do this?" Eirika asked, voice not much louder than a whisper.

"This is WAR! In war, you can get away with anything! You curs of Renais have lost!" He cackled.

Eirika's hands were shaking, knuckles white with fury, and she was about to give the man a piece of her mind, when Mark put a hand in front of her.

"Don't let him get to you princess. Not everyone in war is a monster, and we can't judge an entire nation based off of a few bad apples. Guys like this…" Mark said, waving his hand towards the man on the road. "Well… Let's just say that if an enemy doesn't kill them… Their own allies eventually get disgusted by their presence and end the menace themselves."

The man on the road laughed. "So you're the tactician that I've heard about, is that right? I figured a man of your occupation would agree with me."

Mark shook his head. "I may not be the most honorable fighter or tactician out there… But to claim that war is permission to do whatever you desire… That goes beyond dishonorable and right into disgusting."

The man growled at being called disgusting. "I needn't justify myself to the likes of you. You fools will be dead soon, and I will be made a general."

At that, the man disappeared in a flash of bright light, and the men that had surrounded them disappeared into the surrounding fog. Mark immediately turned towards the others.

"Alright everyone, keep close to each other and shout out when you see an enemy. Take your time when going through the fog. Colm, Neimi, your eyes are sharper than everyone else's, so focus more on seeing through the fog than actually attacking enemies. Everyone else, cover them. Comb the fog for their leader, and when you see him, approach with caution." Mark ordered.

"What about that child?" Eirika asked.

"I've got that handled." Mark said, waving off her concern. "Now, no one get reckless. Eirika and Seth will take point, while Gilliam, Ross, and Garcia will cover the rear. Everyone else can maneuver around as they see fit. Is everyone in agreement?" Seeing everyone nod in affirmation, Mark grinned. "Great. Find me when you're done, and be prepared to take care of a civilian or two." Mark said, grabbing a handful of warp powder and vanishing into thin air, much to the surprise of everyone.

Eirika was the first one to shake out of the shock of what Mark just did. "You heard him everyone. Stay behind Seth and myself."

They pressed onwards, and sure enough, they met resistance quite soon. Colm managed to shout out a warning beforehand, and the group turned to see a large group of figures in the mist. Readying their weapons, Seth and Eirika charged into action, followed closely by most of their group. Gilliam, Ross and Garcia stayed back with the healers, but the others charged headfirst into the fray.

Soon enough, the battlefield became a place of complete chaos. Franz was riding circles around the area, striking out with his lance at any enemies that he could, either skewering them or distracting them for long enough for someone else to finish them off.

Joshua was a blur of movement that was almost impossible to keep track of; one minute he was cutting an enemy in half, and by the time another tried to attack him, they found that his sword was either already through their chest, or that theirs had been knocked out of their hands. The mercenary smirked at the shock that would play across his enemy's face when they died by his sword.

A wave of fire hit the enemies, courtesy of the self-proclaimed 'magical prodigy', who was quickly proving that her title was not completely without merit. However, such displays of power quickly earned her the target of a large amount of dark mages, who tried to take out the powerful magic user that they suddenly found themselves up against, but whenever they tried, Artur would be there with his own magic, piercing their thick robes with spears of light. Lute hardly noticed however, as she was more focused on her own efforts.

Colm and Neimi, as ordered, were not focusing on the battle. Instead, they were keeping an eye out for any enemies trying to run around the side and surprise the small group. Whenever Colm would see one, he would point them out to Neimi, who wasted no time in shooting arrow after arrow into whatever foolish enemy thought that flanking the group was a good idea. Colm for his part was satisfied with simply staying next to Neimi and act as her guard, though no enemies ever managed to get close enough for him to have to take action, much to his relief.

Vanessa however, was having the most difficult time out of the entire group. The fog was making it very difficult for her to determine whether or not there were any archers in the enemy group, so she simply stayed just barely above the fight, but not to the point where she couldn't see the shadows of the enemies below her. Utilizing the same hit-and-run tactics as Franz, she dived down towards the group from time to time, staying just long enough to skewer an enemy with her lance before retreating back into the fog, spells and arrows just barely avoiding her pegasus. She was almost grateful for the fog in a way, since it allowed her to get out of range rather than continuously trying to dodge arrows.

Meanwhile, Eirika was doing surprisingly well against such an overwhelming force, which surprised Seth. He originally had not enjoyed the idea of the princess being on the front lines, but knew that if he was next to her he would be able to take Eirika to safety if things got too bad. However, that had yet to happen. The princess was currently managing to not only hold her own, but exceed just about every member of their group in terms of combat prowess. Enemy after enemy would try to attack her, yet they always found that the princess was just out of reach. She was not happy about the fact that a family had been taken hostage, and she wanted to get the fight over as quickly as possible so that she could ensure that Mark was still safe, since he had taken off on his own with no one to help him. However, while Seth was distracted with Eirika, he failed to notice the tendrils of dark magic approach him, knocking him off his horse with a terrifying force and pinned him to the ground, squeezing the air out of his lungs.

Eirika shouted "Seth!" She ran to the side of her friend, reaching a hand out to try and pry the magic off of the paladin, only for it to burn her hands when she tried. Panicking slightly since Seth's breathing was slowing down, Eirika hardly noticed Artur kill the offending dark mage. After the dark magic affecting the knight faded away, Natasha rushed to his side, already readying her healing staff. Eirika looked at the cleric with pleading eyes.

"He'll be fine." Natasha assured her. "But we need you to keep them off of us. Gilliam and Garcia are protecting the villagers, so we don't have as many people protecting us."

Eirika nodded in response, not really caring how the villagers had gotten there at this moment in time. She focused instead on protecting the healers with Ross, who appeared to have already been a little bit beaten up, judging from how he was limping. Eirika only hoped that the fight would end soon so that she could find out what happened to Mark and make sure that Seth would be okay.

* * *

A few minutes prior, Mark had given the small family quite a scare when he suddenly materialized in front of them. While they initially backed away from him out of fear that he could be an enemy, Mark held up his hands to show that he meant them no harm.

"Hey, it's fine. I'm not here to hurt you, I'm here to get you somewhere safe. Understand?" Mark asked, hoping that this would be quick and painless.

However, his words fell on deaf ears, as the villagers in front of him simply cowered in fear and slowly backed away from him. Mark sighed.

"Look, I don't have time for this, and neither do you. You heard the man - there are giant spiders in the area, and I can almost guarantee you that you don't want to be here when they get here. If you want to get to safety, take these." Mark said, tossing over three pouches of warp powder. "I can get you out of here, but you'll need to take one of those each and come close, okay?"

The woman of the group hesitantly picked up one of the bags, and seeing that the only thing in there was a powder, looked at the other two and walked towards Mark. The others followed suit soon after, and Mark smiled at their bravery, not that they had much choice anyways.

"Alright. This might be a little disorienting, so don't move for a minute or so after you vanish, okay?" Mark suggested. When they nodded in response, Mark threw a handful of warp powder over the three civilians, causing them to pulse with light for a few seconds, and then disappear. Mark suddenly lurched forward, and it took all of his willpower to not vomit right then and there.

 _Oh no you don't body… You're capable of something that simple without completely breaking down. Besides, this next part will be far worse._ Mark thought to himself, desperately trying to convince his own body to not simply break down on the spot. _Great. 20 to 3 in a single day… So much for 'preserving my resources'. Totally worth the sacrifice though, but I should really get moving._

Hearing noises in the distance that no human was capable of making, Mark took off at a sprint. He didn't know how big of a spider lived in these mountains, but if they were capable of killing humans, then Mark had the distinct feeling that he didn't **want** to know. However, Mark knew that he was not the best runner in the world, so when he heard the strange sound approach, he quickly turned around, only to see behind him a creature out of his nightmares. Easily the size of a full-grown man, the abomination was approaching him at a dizzying pace. Mark found himself holding his sword quite shakily.

There was a chance, however small, that Mark may have possibly had a little, tiny fear of spiders.

Maybe.

When the spider charged him, it was all Mark could do to roll out of the way, slashing randomly as he hit the ground. However, when he tried to stand up again, he found the spider had already turned around and leapt at him, biting into his shoulder. Mark shouted in pain, and quickly sliced off one of the spider's legs with his sword and shoved it off of him. The monster let out a noise that Mark hoped meant that it was in pain, and it was clearly much slower now that one of its legs was chopped off, but before Mark could even do anything else, a sword was plunged through the spider's body, causing it to elicit a shrill screech, flail, and then cease all movement. Still jumpy from an encounter with the most unholy of creatures, Mark pointed his sword at the new threat. However, all he saw was Joshua, who appeared to be laughing.

"What's this I see? Is our tactician afraid? Of SPIDERS?" Joshua asked with an evil grin.

Mark gritted his teeth. "S-shut up. This doesn't get repeated to a-anyone, got it?!" Mark said, trying to be as threatening as possible, but that only made Joshua laugh harder.

"Come on. Those civilians you found are already safe. I'll escort you back, oh fearless leader." Joshua joked.

Mark was about to retort, when he suddenly fell flat on his face. For some reason, his legs simply refused to move. Joshua quickly hurried over to Mark, and grabbed the tactician under his arms to help him up.

"Are you okay Mark? What happened?" Joshua asked, concerned for his friend's health.

"That spider bit me." Mark growled in pain. "I think it had poison on his fangs. I'm gradually losing feeling in my limbs, and the area around my wound feels like it's burning. I need to get to Moulder or Natasha quickly."

Joshua nodded his head. "Got it. Just hang on tight, okay? You'll be fine." He said, trying to comfort his friend, who seemed to be trying his hardest to stay conscious. Whatever poison was on that spider, it was certainly fast-acting. Joshua had to carry Mark on his back, since it seemed as if the tactician had already lost the ability to use his legs.

Upon reaching the group, Franz was the first to rush over to the tactician, quickly putting Mark on his horse and rushing off towards where Moulder was, since Natasha was still busy with healing Seth. Colm called out to Moulder immediately upon seeing the state that Mark was in, which alerted everyone to his presence.

"Mark! What happened?!" Eirika asked, even more panicked that now two of her closest friends were injured to the point of incapacitation.

"Apparently spiders find me tasty." Mark joked weakly, causing Eirika to glare at the man for attempting to make humor at such a bad time. "I'm fine Eirika. I don't think the poison's lethal." Mark said, quickly changing the subject.

"How can you be so sure?" Eirika asked with concern.

"I think if it was lethal I would be dead by now. Considering how quickly it's travelled through my system, I think we'll have time for Moulder to treat me. Did everything go well over on your end?"

Eirika sighed at her tactician's attempts to take the attention off of his injury. "That's not important right now Mark. Please, just stay focused, and Moulder will be here any second now." Eirika pleaded.

Mark grinned. "Sorry Eirika, but I'm just barely conscious as it is… I'm gonna have take a little nap here m'kay?" He drifted off, quickly losing consciousness.

Luckily Moulder had finally arrived, having been transported over by Vanessa. He put two fingers to Mark's neck, and nodded at the princess when he felt the tactician's pulse. He quickly went to work with his healing staff, but stopped shortly after.

"He's not actually that injured; I believe the poison was designed to freeze the muscles and tire out the victim. It should be simple enough to get an antidote at a nearby town, but we can't do much until then." Moulder reported.

Eirika let out a sigh of relief. They had gotten lucky. Two of their numbers had been injured, one of whom poisoned, and yet it looked as if they would both be back on their feet in no time. And when Mark did wake up? Oh, Eirika was going to give him a piece of her mind for being so reckless.

* * *

Meanwhile, someone else close to Eirika had been even more reckless than Mark, and yet had somehow got away with it. Ephraim was standing right in front of the throne room of Renvall, panting slightly over the bloody corpse of the commander of the Garrison. He was proud of his knights; he could not have hoped for a better result. Granted, Orson's wound had gotten worse over the course of the battle, but the fact that no one died was a miracle in and of itself.

"We've secured the castle." Kyle said, riding into the throne room to report in. "I must say my prince, that was quite the spectacular battle. When I heard tales of your tactical prowess, I certainly did not expect that they were quite of the caliber that you demonstrated today."

Ephraim smiled at the compliment from the normally stoic knight. "Thank you Kyle. However, I fear that we will have to abandon our position soon. This is nowhere near their full power. I estimate that a majority of their troops are still out in the field, so our odds of holding off a siege with just the four of us would be almost nothing. Let's continue on to the capital."

Suddenly Forde burst into the room, in a clearly panicked state. "Prince Ephraim! We're completely surrounded!" He announced.

Ephraim's eyes widened at the news. "What?! How did they get reinforcements so quickly?" Ephraim exclaimed incredulously.

"What should we do?" Kyle asked, starting to panic a little bit at the thought of being completely surrounded by enemies.

Ephraim remained silent, thinking through his options. "If we escape now, we might be able to pierce through their line and escape before we're completely surrounded, but if we wait… We will find ourselves outnumbered and flanked on all sides…" Ephraim muttered to himself. "That decides it. We leave now! Where is Orson?"

Kyle and Franz looked at each other. Kyle sighed. He realized that he would have to be the one to break the bad news to the prince.

"Sir… We haven't seen him since the battle. However, Forde last saw him leaving the castle in the direction of the Grado capital." He said somberly. "He is now either dead or a traitor. We must leave him behind."

Ephraim recoiled in shock, but quickly composed himself, remembering the situation that he found himself in. "...Very well. For his sake, let us hope that he is truly dead. I don't like the idea of having to fight Sir Orson. For now, we must run!" Ephraim shouted, mounting a horse and leaving the castle gate at a gallop.

However, as the group was about to crash into the enemy's front lines, they heard the unmistakable beating sound of wyvern's wings. Quickly leaping off of his horse, he just managed to see a wyvern rider take off with his horse in the wyvern's claws. The wyvern did a quick spin, launching the horse into the forest beyond. The rider then landed in front of the trio, grinning maniacally. Ephraim studied the man. He looked like a very talented fighter, but no sane man grinned like that after killing a horse. He had blue hair similar to his own, and armor that resembled that of a high-ranking military officer.

"So, you've captured Renvall, have you? And with such a small force! Impressive! You've earned your reputation. I must say, I quite admire your work. I take it you're the leader of this pack..The misguided Prince Ephraim." The man said.

"I am." Ephraim said dryly, hands still on his lance in preparation for a fight.

"I'm General Valter, the Moonstone of Grado's Imperial Army. Catching up to you has caused me no small amount of trouble. We've reduced your wretched home of Renais to ruin, and yet... You and your little band of bravos continue to be a thorn in our side. But that all ends here." Valter taunted.

"We'll see. You claim to have taken the capital of Renais… Tell me, how did you know that I would be in Renvall so quickly?" Ephraim asked, though he feared that he already knew the answer.

"Hehehe… All in good time princey. Now, be a good boy and drop your weapons, will you?"

"Are you asking me to surrender?" Ephraim asked, almost amused at Valter's overconfidence.

"That's right. If you do, I'll let you live. You already know that it's futile to fight me. You cannot escape. You cannot win. Do not test my good humor. Now come over here, bend your knee, and beg for your life. Show me how Renais dogs grovel." Valter said, deliberately trying to get a rise out of the prince.

"Heh. Valter was it? Here, me and my companions will show you how a soldier of Renais 'surrenders'..." Ephraim trailed off, grin growing on his face.

Ephraim suddenly lunged towards the general, who urged his mount back in response, only to have its wings grazed by a pair of javelins from the knights from behind their prince.

"We 'surrender'." Ephraim smirked, charging into the fray alongside his friends. He would make sure that on that day, no one from Grado would ever doubt the strength of a warrior of Renais.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **So, even though I suck at writing fight scenes, I tried my hand at one here. Hopefully this gives you an indication as to why I like to skip the fighting.**

 **But I felt like I needed to, since I've been showing what Mark is capable of, but not anyone else, and I didn't want to give the impression that everyone else in Eirika's group is weak.**

 **Also I need to find a better phrase to use than Eirika's group…**

 **I also really have no idea how to do romance in a story and that's going to bite me in the ass in about 2 chapters.**


	9. It's a trap!

Seth awoke in the medical tent, and immediately tried to stand up, only to be met with a searing pain in his chest. Seeing her patient suddenly jolt, Natasha put a hand on the man's chest to keep him down.

"Sir Seth, you are still injured from that dark magic that hit you. You must stay still." She said, trying to calm down the general.

Realizing the situation at hand, Seth sighed. "Thank you, sister Natasha, I owe you my life."

Natasha shook her head in response. "No, I am simply repaying you for saving my life back in Serafew. I owe you so much for saving my life and hearing me out… This is the least I can do. Now, since you're awake, that means you're almost done healing. I will be back for you in an hour or so. Is there anything you need?"

Seth thought about it. He didn't feel especially hungry or thirsty, but he knew that he now needed to tell Eirika how important her bracelet was, so that she would no longer consider giving it up.

"Yes, I have something that I need to report to her highness. I don't suppose you could send her in?" Seth asked.

Natasha nodded her head. "Certainly. I was about to inform her of your awakening. She was by both of your sides until quite recently, when Moulder and I ordered her to get some rest." She then walked off to get the princess of Renais.

Shortly thereafter, Seth heard the sound of rapidly approaching footsteps, followed by the tent flap being thrown open. Eirika was standing in the entryway, and upon seeing Seth's eyes open, visibly relaxed.

"Seth. Are you feeling better? Natasha said that you needed me for something." Eirika said, sounding relieved that her friend was finally awake.

"Yes milady, I am fine. Sister Natasha seems to have done a wonderful job with my healing, as she claims I should be fit to leave this tent after another hour or so of healing. But I digress; that is not why I needed to talk to you." Seth said, pausing to compose himself better. "Your late father, King Fado, asked that I keep silent about the truth of your bracelet until the time was right… Are you ready to hear it's secret?"

Eirika nodded. "Yes. It has confused me since this battle that Grado seemed to think my bracelet was worth so much. I would like an explanation."

Seth sighed. "Very well. As you are aware, Renais houses one of the sacred stones. For a long time, your family has claimed that it is housed in the throne room, on the very throne itself. However, this is false." Eirika's eyebrows shot up at that statement. "The true sacred stone lies beneath the castle. The key to opening the passage was also hidden… In the bracelets that you and your brother now wear." Seth finished.

Eirika took a seat next to Seth's bed, realizing the implications of what had just been told to her. "That… Makes sense, actually. It certainly makes Natasha's story seem valid." Seth nodded his head in agreement. "And it also explains why you and Mark wanted to get it back so badly."

Seth flinched at the mention of their currently-unconscious tactician, as he was the next topic that Seth wanted to discuss. "Actually Princess Eirika, I wanted to talk to you about Mark. You see, something has been bothering me for quite some time. When I confronted Mark about his knowledge of the bracelet, he told me that King Fado did not tell him. Instead, he actually encouraged the late king to tell me, which I find highly suspicious. Think about it: he doesn't know where the real stone is, so he makes sure that I know, and then the moment that I slip, he figures it out. Not only that, but only a few days after I confirmed the secret of the sacred stones did Grado start demanding your bracelet. I do not like the coincidences, milady." Seth admitted with a grimace, already aware that his words would probably not get through to the princess of Renais.

Predictably, Eirika shook her head in response. "I'm sorry Sir Seth, but I don't think that Mark is working against us. If he was after the bracelet, why didn't he just let me die next to those abominations? Surely it would have been much easier to take my bracelet when I was injured or dead. He has more than proven himself in my mind, and I would appreciate it if you would stop being so suspicious of him."

"Peace, your highness. I wish to trust our tactician, but he is making it most difficult. He has told us nothing of his past, refuses to fight for us on the field, and made our king swear to not tell anyone about his existence. The fact that he saved your life certainly helps his case, but I must be wary of someone whom I know so little about, if nothing more than for your safety." Seth explained.

Eirika was about to retort when they heard a groan from the other side of the tent. Turning, Eirika could see that Mark had started to stir.

"Ugh. Why do I feel like I just ate my own cooking?" Mark mumbled.

"Mark! You're awake!" Eirika exclaimed, causing Mark to tilt his head in her direction.

"Yeah, barely. How long have I been out?"

"Almost a full day now. You had me quite worried there for a while." Eirika admitted.

Mark chuckled. "Sorry for that. I'll try to avoid spiders in the future. Nasty things, it seems." He said with a shudder.

"It's not just that." Eirika said, frustration evident in her tone. "You shouldn't have gone off on your own like that. You ran off on your own when we didn't know what we were up against and could've gotten yourself killed!"

"Yes, but we needed to rescue those civilians, and I could get there quicker by following the path of their warp staff." Mark explained.

"But why didn't you just tell someone where you were going? By the time we had reached you, you could have been overrun! For that matter, why didn't you just teleport back to us when the family was safe?"

"I didn't think that there'd be three villagers there. It takes a lot more warp powder to warp other people, so I was only down to three handfuls. I know that they're a useful resource that I can't replenish, so I needed to conserve them."

"You're telling me that you risked dying from poison… because you didn't want to use warp powder?!" Eirika asked incredulously.

"Kind of. I didn't want to _waste_ warp powder. If I run out, I'd be completely useless to you all. It's the only real way that I'm of any help." Mark responded.

Seth could only sit there and watch as Eirika gradually grew more and more frustrated with Mark. What surprised Seth however, was that Mark seemed to be somewhat frustrated as well. If he was in Mark's position, he would have tried his hardest to appease the princess, purely because Seth knew what it was like to be on the receiving end of her anger.

"Mark! You're worth far more to us than that! Please tell me that you don't actually believe that your life is worth less than a simple tool!" Eirika shouted, clearly distressed that her friend thought so little of his contributions.

"It's true. Judging from your fight in Serafew, Seth is a competent enough tactician that I'm really not needed around anymore in terms of tactics; he could easily take over my position. On top of that, I can't help you in combat, and if I attract too much attention, some people that want me dead might hurt the rest of you as well. So yes Eirika, I **do** think that the warp powder is worth the risk." Mark said, starting to get off of his bed.

"Mark, please don't talk like that. I… If you died… I don't know what I'd do. You've helped me so much, and the thought of you no longer being there to support me… I would be devastated if I lost you." Eirika said, her voice trembling at the thought of her friend dying.

Mark smiled. "But that's just who you are, Eirika. It wouldn't matter if it was me, or Seth, or Franz… You care about us all equally, any death is a disaster for you, not an acceptable consequence. And that's why I value your life so highly. That's why I'm willing to die for your cause." Mark said, starting to walk out of the tent to get out of the conversation. He paused at the entrance and turned back to face the princess. "And for the record, I was pretty sure that a spider wouldn't kill me. After all I've been through, that would have been embarrassing." He said, walking out of the medical tent.

Eirika stood there, her emotions somewhere between shocked and saddened. The idea that Mark, who was normally so cheery had such depressing thoughts about his own worth was… Troubling. Eirika had never heard someone talk about themselves in the same manner that he had, and it disturbed her deeply.

"Your highness, it might be a good idea to leave him be for now." Seth commented, which snapped Eirika out of her thoughts.

"But I need to-" Eirika started.

"No. I could tell that the conversation that you just had with him was… Troubling for him, though I don't know why. Give him time, and maybe he will be more willing to talk to you later." Seth advised.

Eirika smiled. "Thank you, Sir Seth. I think I will do just that. But tell me, are you no longer suspicious of Mark? It is strange that you would tell me how to get closer to him while also advising me to be wary."

Seth shook his head. "I am still suspicious of Mark, but only because I don't have enough information on him to figure out his motives. I can tell that he's a good person, but good people have done bad things before, and I need to be aware of anything that could potentially interfere with your health and our mission."

"I… Understand. I hope that one day he will reveal more about himself to me, but I have so far given him space. I will try and get answers to some of our questions soon, but if he does not feel like telling me, then I will not press further. Until then, I wish you a speedy recovery Sir Seth." Eirika said, heading out of the tent to go train.

* * *

As the day went on, Mark isolated himself to his tent, drafting up strategies to prepare for the upcoming fight at Renvall. He knew that it was going to be a difficult fight, so he decided that it would be best if the group attacked under the cover of night, allowing them to get slightly closer to the castle before getting spotted. Colm had apparently already scouted out the area, and had informed the tactician that there were two ballistas in the area, which Mark believed would help their odds.

Outside of that though, they had no intel on what the interior of the castle was like, nor did they know if Ephraim was in the area. However, Eirika had decided that it was their best bet at getting a lead on her brother, so Mark conceded to her wishes.

Even if it was obviously a trap.

Mark let out a sigh. It was times like these that he wished his sister was here; she seemed to have a knack for turning hopeless situations into monumental successes, something that he had proven was not hereditary.

 _No… But there_ _ **is**_ _one thing I've always been better than her at…_ Mark thought to himself with a grin. _Let's show the enemy commander just what they're dealing with._

* * *

Later that night, the group had managed to silently approach to just outside the front gate, having silently eliminated some guards on the bridge to the fort. Staring up at the giant walls of Renvall from the shadows, Mark gained a better idea of what they were up against. Thinking that it was probably a trap, Mark took it as a bad sign that the walls were severely under-manned. However, it appeared as if a battle had taken place here recently. Judging by the fact that no assaults in Grado territory had been planned by Frelia, Mark realized that Ephraim might have been in the area recently. After being satisfied that no more guards were going to go on the walls, Mark finally gave the order to start the offensive. He knew that they had no way of getting in while keeping the enemy in the dark about their location, but getting this far gave them a highly defendable position from the soldiers that were likely in the surrounding area.

Garcia and Ross had taken the uniforms of the bridge guards that the rest of the group had killed, which would hopefully grant them a few seconds of surprise before the enemy knew that they were ready. Mark had already told the father-son pair about their role, which was to hold the bridge as long as possible, and fall back to the gate where Gilliam would wait to reinforce a more defendable position.

The group had been very lucky; they'd initially thought that they would have to get Lute to slowly burn down the heavy wooden gate of the fortress, but the enemy had very graciously left several barrels of gunpowder next to the bridge that the group had managed to cross. They had Vanessa to thank for their find, and over the past half an hour, Seth and Franz had painstakingly taken each individual barrel from the bridge and placed them next to the gate in preparation for their breach.

Now, on Mark's signal, he and Artur raised their hands in the air and blinded two small groups of guards with light magic. After coming up with the plan earlier that day, Mark and Artur had practiced for hours to make sure that Mark had could at least daze a guard from the distance they needed. Luckily, Mark only missed by a marginal amount, and the guards were still stunned long enough for Artur to get his own hit on Mark's group. After the guards were dazed, Lute ignited the barrels of gunpowder with her fire magic, resulting in a blast that would have deafened the group had they been standing any closer. As it was, the smoke from where the heavily fortified gate used to be was enough to obscure the group's movement for the precious few seconds they needed to rush into the castle.

Once inside, they heard the sounds of shouting from a distant corridor. Wasting no time, Mark sprung into action.

"Seth, Eirika, Franz, and Natasha, I want you to clear out the right-hand side. Approach with caution and never rush forwards, let them come to you. I'll go with Artur, Lute, Joshua, Vanessa and Moulder up the left-hand side and try to rendezvous with you. Remember, even though we're on a time limit, we still need to be careful. We're outnumbered and don't know whether or not they have any more tricks up their sleeve, so no heroics. If you get in trouble, retreat to the front gate and meet up with Gilliam." Mark ordered. Upon receiving an affirmative from everyone in that group, he left with his group towards the left.

Eirika and Seth walked along with their group, noting that it was eerily quiet. Given that Mark had claimed the group was walking into a trap, this set the entire group on edge. Upon hearing the sound of footsteps, the entire group recoiled and gripped their weapons tightly. However, everyone but Natasha's eyes widened upon seeing who it was. Stepping from the shadows was a paladin, whose clothes were torn and drenched in what appeared to be blood. He was sporting light wounds and seemed to be holding his arm limply.

"Sir Orson!" Eirika exclaimed.

"Princess Eirika? And Seth and… Franz if I'm not mistaken." Orson said emotionlessly.

"Sir Orson… Why are you here? You should be with Prince Ephraim." Seth said, squinting at the man before him, trying to discern his motives.

Eirika, having finally had enough of Seth's paranoid nature, stepped between Seth and Orson. "Are you alright Sir Orson?" Eirika asked with concern, referencing the man's wounds to try and get Seth to back off. "If you're here, my brother must be here with you, yes?"

"Yes... Prince Ephraim and I were both captured by Grado forces and held here as prisoners. I just managed to escape my cell... A chance to escape... It's what I had prayed for…" Orson explained, a pained expression on his face. However, Seth could tell that Orson was not telling the truth, as he paled almost immediately after Eirika finished asking her question.

"Are you well, Sir Orson? Grado's men… Did they-" Eirika tried to ask, before being cut off by the paladin.

"No, it's fine, your highness, but I must admit… I no longer know whether or not the crown prince lives." He admitted.

"What!? Where is he? Where is my brother?" Eirika shouted, desperation taking control of her logical thinking.

"If he lives still, he will be in one of the deeper cells, where I was held. Head down this corridor to the dungeons. Quickly, before reinforcements arrive." Orson claimed, indicating towards a side corridor and leading the group deeper into the castle. Eirika nodded her thanks and followed him downstairs. Seth and Natasha followed her as well, with Franz watching over the entrance to the dungeons.

Descending deeper and deeper, they eventually came across the moss-filled hallways that signified the castle dungeons. Passing cell after cell, the four could smell the foulness of the place; a mixture of blood, rotting, and dampness.

"This way, Princess Eirika. Prince Ephraim is being kept in a cell back here." Orson reported.

"Thank you, Sir Orson. It gives me great joy to know that my brother is closeby." Eirika replied with a smile. Orson did not respond to this, instead keeping a completely blank stare on his face, which did nothing to calm Seth's suspicions.

"... Sir Orson. How long ago did you and the prince get taken prisoner?" Seth asked.

"Some two weeks ago. The prince and I were forced to surrender. We've been held captive in these dungeons ever since that dark day." Orson replied. "We have had no news of any kind, which only increased our suffering. Tell me, Sir Seth, how is the situation back in Renais?"

Seth stayed silent for a few seconds, both analyzing Orson's responses as well as composing himself. "...Renais has fallen. King Fado... The king is dead." He said solemnly.

"Dead... My king... My apologies, Princess Eirika. I have served you poorly…" Orson drifted off, barely reacting to the depressing news.

"You're not to blame, Sir Orson. We must look to the future, not find fault in the past. The Grado army pursues me in hopes of acquiring my bracelet. My brother wears this bracelet's twin, and he is in danger, too." Eirika replied, putting a comforting hand on Orson's shoulder.

"Bracelet? Ah, I remember... Prince Ephraim still wears the bracelet. And Grado is after them? If that's the case, Princess... Perhaps you should entrust the bracelets to someone else." Orson recommended. "Give them to me or to Seth. Let someone you trust guard them. If the empire desires your bracelet, you are in danger as long as you hold it. For your own safety, Your Highness, please. What say you? We must not allow the Sacred Stone of Renais to be taken."

"I agree with you, but yet…" Eirika started, before Seth moved between Eirika and Orson. "Sir Seth?" Eirika asked in confusion.

"...Sir Orson. I am going to have to ask you to hand over your weapons." Seth proclaimed.

"What are you talking about, Seth? Can't you see I'm unarmed? Do you think they allow prisoners weapons? What kind of injury have you taken that you suggest such foolishness?" Orson asked incredulously, though Seth could tell that Orson was getting more and more nervous at Seth's words.

"If I am mistaken, then I will give you all due apologies. However, there are questions I have that I cannot answer. Why would you escape your cell and yet leave Prince Ephraim in chains? How do you know of the tie between the bracelets and the Sacred Stone? It is to my understanding that only the princess, Mark and I know about the link between the Sacred Stone of Renais and the bracelets that my lieges wear." Seth stated, his face as emotionless as he could manage.

"Seth… This is just a misunderstanding… Prince Ephraim simply told me about the bracelets when we were in our cells." Orson tried to explain.

"No. King Fado told me that not even Ephraim knows about the truth of Renais' Sacred Stone. Please Sir Orson, hand over the blade that you are concealing in your doublet, and we can talk about this." Seth countered, though he doubted that Orson would actually surrender over his weapon.

"... Very well. You haven't changed a bit, Seth. If only Eirika had been alone. You, however, simply will not be deceived." Orson said with a sigh.

"Orson! What is-" Eirika started before being cut off by another voice.

"So you turned traitor after all… I expected more from you, Orson." a voice said from deeper in the dungeon.

Everyone turned their heads at the voice, and standing on the other side of the dungeon was none other than Ephraim and his knights. The prince of Renais had his spear at the ready, slowly approaching Orson, who had started backing away from the group.

"Brother! You're alive!" Eirika exclaimed

"Yes sister. I heard from some of the soldiers here that they were planning on laying a trap for you here, so I came back to Renvall. Looks like we've got great timing." Ephraim replied, eyes not leaving Orson. "Why did you do it, Orson? What could have possibly been worth your loyalty to your country?"

Orson hung his head, but a grin was spread wide on his face. "My fondest wish… I will get to spend the rest of my days with my beloved wife…" He announced.

"What? Orson, your wife is dead." Seth said in confusion. In response, Orson only smiled madly at the general.

"That's enough, Sir Orson. You've done well. You may go back to your wife, we'll take over from here." A man in heavy armor said from behind Orson.

Orson nodded, and passed by the armored man and several soldiers on his way back out of the dungeons. The man in armor chuckled.

"Well met, prince and princess of Renais. I am Tirado, loyal aide of general Valter, the moonstone. I am also the captain in charge of this castle. I must say, you made my job quite a lot easier tonight." Tirado taunted. "And it is so good to see you again, Prince Ephraim. I feared that I would not be able to introduce you to my lance when you fled from Lord Valter."

"Everyone, we need to get out of these close spaces. Retreat to the other-" Ephraim started, trying to get everyone into a better position to fight the enemy.

"I don't think so. You may have ruined our plans for the bridge, but we are nothing if not adaptable." Orson said, motioning one of his soldiers forward.

The man in question brought forth a man that was being held with a sword at his neck and transferred him to Tirado, who held him in front for everyone to see. There was a collective gasp from the princess' group as the face of a blonde cavalier came into sight.

"Brother! Release him you black heart!" Forde exclaimed.

Tirado simply smirked. "Oh I will…If you lay down your weapons and hop into one of those cells over there. Quickly now, I fear that my patience is not quite that of my lord's."

However, just as Eirika was about to speak up, a flash of light blinded everyone in the room. The sound of rapid footsteps could be heard, as well as sounds of confusion from the Grado soldiers. When the group could open their eyes, they saw that Franz was no longer being held by Tirado. Instead, he was running back up to the top of the dungeon, and Mark of all people was standing between Tirado and the staircase. He looked completely exhausted; his breath was coming out in short gasps, he was slightly hunched over, and blood was coming out of his nose and ears.

"Heh. Didn't think I was capable of that, to be honest." Mark commented with a grin. His voice caught Tirado's attention, who turned around and glared at Mark with as much fury as he could manage.

"Men, kill everyone in this room. The tactician is mine." Tirado ordered, walking towards Mark with his weapon drawn.

"Yeah, I don't really agree. See ya!" Mark said, sprinting up the staircase. Tirado roared in response and ran after Mark as quickly as possible.

The rest of the group took advantage of the confusion to push back against the now-leaderless force of armored knights. Eirika fought by her brother, who was extremely impressed with how quickly his sister had improved. She was now matching him kill for kill, and quite easily as well. Then Ephraim noticed that Eirika was trying to hurry out and up the staircase, likely after her friend.

"Everyone! We need to open up a hole through their lines so that we can help fight Tirado!" Ephraim ordered, sensing the urgency of what they had to do. In response, Seth and Forde crashed into where Grado's forces were thinnest and managed to push their knights back far enough that the group could get through to the staircase.

Wasting no time, Eirika sprinted up the staircase, leaving the others to fight off the rest of the knights. Upon reaching the top of the staircase, she saw Franz, as well as all the other members of Mark's group fighting the enemy, but Mark himself was nowhere in sight. She spotted Joshua casually decapitating an enemy soldier, so she sprinted to him to try to get information.

"Joshua! Where did Mark go?" Eirika asked frantically.

Joshua engaged another soldier before answering. "I saw him being chased up towards the castle walls. You better hurry, it looked like someone was catching up to him." The mercenary said.

Eirika nodded her thanks and then sprinted towards the stairs that led up to the castle walls. Upon getting to the top, Eirika quickly scanned the walls, and found where Mark was still running away from Tirado. However, Tirado was faster and the distance between the two was closing. Eirika started sprinting towards the two fighters, but her heart stopped when Tirado struck out at Mark's legs with his weapon. Mark shouted in pain, and hit the ground face first. He rolled over, and attempted to hit Tirado with light magic twice, but missed both times. Knocking the tome out of Mark's hand, Tirado levelled his weapon at Mark's face while Eirika tried to sprint even faster towards where the two were fighting.

"Finally got you, you scum. Any last words?" Tirado asked.

"Heh. Sure. Here's the last words you'll ever hear." Mark said, cocky grin plastered on his face.

Suddenly, Mark had teleported next to Eirika, who just managed to stop running when she saw Mark teleport.

"I don't lose." Mark finished.

Eirik heard the sound of something screaming through the air, and then saw a ballista bolt slam through Tirado's chest. The captain looked down, and saw the bolt sticking through himself. He looked at Mark in shock before collapsing. Mark turned to Eirika, and looked as if he was about to collapse as well.

"You should really have more faith in me, Eirika." Mark said with a tired smile.

Eirika shook her head. "After what you said this morning… I was simply afraid that you were going to sacrifice yourself to buy us some time. Come on, we need to get you to a healer." Eirika said, moving Mark's arm so that she could support him.

"Thank you, Eirika. I appreciate that you came to try to help me." Mark said.

"After what you did to help me in the Za'ha forest, it's the least I can do." Eirika responded, smiling at the tactician. "Though I still think I owe you, since I didn't actually do anything here…"

"Eirika, you don't owe me anything. When you had no reason to trust me, you did. When I kept secrets from you, you didn't pry. When Seth was suspicious of me, you supported me. The least **I** could do was to protect you." Mark replied. "It means a lot to me to have someone that supports me no matter what, and I don't think there's any real way I could ever thank you enough for that."

Eirika smiled despite how exhausted she was. "I know you're a good person Mark. It doesn't matter who you were before we met, I know that the person in front of me is trustworthy." Eirika said.

Mark didn't reply to that statement. Instead, he bowed his head and allowed Eirika to help him down the stairs, where the rest of their group, as well as Ephraim and his knights were waiting. Seeing Mark's state, Natasha ran over to the pair to start healing their tactician. Eirika walked over to her brother upon seeing that Mark would be okay.

"Brother… It means so much to me that you are safe." Eirika said with a relieved smile.

"I'm sorry if I worried you, Eirika. I only wanted to help ensure your safety, but it seems like I've just made life harder for you all." Ephraim replied.

"Ephraim, that's not true. You were fighting Grado much better than I ever could, but I didn't know where you were, so I needed to make sure myself that you were okay." Eirika explained.

Ephraim was about to say more, when a small girl with indigo hair walked up to him. "Prince Ephraim…" She said, her voice just barely above a whisper.

"What is it Myrrh?" Ephraim asked.

"The dark force… It's getting closer…" Myrrh said. "It is great in number…"

Ephraim nodded. "I understand. Everyone, we need to leave now, before Grado gets any more reinforcements."

"Um, brother? This girl... Her hair is indigo... Where did…" Eirika started.

"Ah, that's a long story. For now, we must move. Suffice to say Emperor Vigarde has enlisted some...otherworldly powers. We must warn everyone of the danger." Ephraim explained, heading towards the entrance.

As they passed through the castle, Mark noticed a small room filled with papers. He took a quick detour into it and grabbed a few folders that looked like they were the most recent. When Eirika looked at Mark questioningly, he said that he wanted to make sure that the enemy didn't have any more tricks up their sleeves.

* * *

After running for what seemed like at least an hour, the group managed to make it back into the forest where they had camped the previous night. Mark practically collapsed upon entering the campground, but Joshua grabbed him by the shoulders to keep him upright.

"You really need to get better at running, my friend." Joshua said with a chuckle.

"Bite me. I've been getting by just fine." Mark retorted.

Upon seeing the two, Ephraim walked over to Mark. "That was quite the stunt that you pulled back there. I must thank you, without your help, I fear what might have happened."

"No problem, Prince Ephraim. I was just at the right place at the right time." Mark explained. "I was initially going back to Eirika to report that there were very few enemies on our side, but caught a glimpse of the enemy dragging Franz away and followed."

"Didn't I tell you that you shouldn't call me that? Formality doesn't suit you, Oifey. For you, I'm just Ephraim." The prince said with a smile.

"Oifey?" Joshua, Eirika, and Seth all questioned at the same time, causing Mark to flinch in response.

Ephraim looked at the others in confusion. "Yes… That's his name." Ephraim said, completely sure of himself.

"He introduced himself as 'Mark' to us, milord." Seth explained.

Ephraim raised an eyebrow at Mark. "Is this true, Oifey? Why did you not introduce yourself as Oifey?"

Mark was silent for a few moments, but he could feel that everyone's eyes were on him. "Oifey… Is not my true name." Mark explained. "It was an alias that the king recommended I use around you."

Ehpraim's eyes widened. "So your true name is 'Mark'?" He asked.

Mark took a deep breath and closed his eyes, composing himself before he answered. "No." He said, much to the surprise of everyone. "Mark is my middle name, not my first."

"Then who are you, really?" Seth asked.

"I… Can't answer that." Mark replied.

"And why not?"

"Because you'd probably recognize my real name." Mark explained. "I… May have lied about not being famous."

"That is no reason to hide your name from us." Ephraim said. "You've proven yourself an ally to us, could you not even give us your true name?"

Mark shook his head. "No, I'm sorry, but I don't want to be associated with who I used to be. My past is not one that I'm proud of, and I'd rather not be judged for it."

"I'm sorry, but that's not acceptable. I must ask you to-" Seth started.

"ENOUGH!" Eirika shouted, catching everyone's attention. "Mark has helped us time and time again. If he doesn't want to tell us his name, he doesn't have to. Please stop doubting him." Eirika pleaded.

Ephraim hung his head, sorry that he had distrusted a man who had helped them out of a particularly dangerous spot that day. Seth on the other hand, merely looked at Mark with some suspicion before walking away.

"I must apologize Oifey." Ephraim started. "Or should I call you Mark? Either way, you helped us a great deal today, and no matter what you've done in the past, your actions today make up for whatever it is you believe we would judge you for."

"I'll stick with Mark, if that's fine." Mark said, deliberately not commenting on the second part of Ephraim's speech. The prince decided that he was going to go and help Forde with the cooking for the night, and wandered off.

"Hey, don't forget about me! I can't believe you lied to me, Mark. And here I thought you were a horrible liar." Joshua said, pretending to be hurt.

Mark chuckled. "I am a horrible liar. That's why I rarely lie. I find it much easier to tell half-truths. If you recall, I never actually claimed that my name was Mark, only that you should call me that."

Joshua pondered what Mark said for a few seconds. "You sly dastard." Joshua said, a smile creeping onto his face. "I can't believe you got that one by me. Well played." he said, giving the tactician a slap on the back before heading into camp.

"Well that certainly went better than I expected…" Mark muttered, not realizing that Eirika was still there.

"It shouldn't have been as bad is it was, Mark. After all you've done, their reaction was completely unjustified. I will have another talk with Seth later about what happened just now." Eirika said.

"Ah, Eirika. Forgive me, I forgot that you were there. Please, their reactions were far better than I could have ever hoped because of your support. Yet again, I find myself in your debt. I fear if you keep this up, I'll never even have a hope of paying you back for all you've done for me." Mark said, giving Eirika a smile.

Eirika shook her head. "You don't need to repay me Mark. You have helped me so much. Not just by your support in battle, but by supporting me when so many others believed that we faced impossible odds, by comforting me when I had nightmares, and by telling me that I wasn't useless." She said. "I just wish that you would let me do the same."

At her comment, Mark went silent. "Of course, I understand that since you don't want to reveal anything about your past, that is likely impossible, but-" Eirika started.

"No. You deserve to know at least a little bit about me." Mark said, admitting that it was the least he could do for the princess. "But if you don't mind, could we move out of earshot of the others? I still don't feel too comfortable talking about what I've done."

Eirika nodded in agreement, and the two walked out of the camp. Upon reaching a nice area, Mark sat down with his back to a tree. Eirika sat down at a tree across from him, staying silent so that Mark would have all the time he needed.

Mark sighed. "Before we begin, I just want to let you know that everything I say is going to be as vague as possible to keep my identity a secret. I hope that you understand."

"That's fine Mark, you don't have to tell me anything you're not comfortable talking about." Eirika responded.

Mark nodded, and began his story. "I was once a part of a small group of fighters. We were all young, and on a quest that we would later find out would determine the fate of the world. However, it didn't always start out like that. I originally joined this group with my sister, and we shared the title of tactician between us. However, the leader of our group and my sister grew close. Very close. In time, my words started to hold less weight than my sister's in our war room meetings, to the point where I would sometimes not say a word. However, one day we were tasked with rescuing a family member of our leader. However, during the final operation to actually rescue them, my sister was… Incapacitated, and I was forced to take sole command." Mark paused, and Eirika could see that tears were threatening to fall. "I was confident that I was up to the task, and everything was going well… Right until the last minute. The enemy surprised us, and all of our efforts were for nothing. My leader's family member died. Before that day, I always viewed him as a friend, but he blamed me for what happened, and I didn't even try to disagree with him. After all, I truly did feel like it was my fault. Eventually, my sister got through to him, and I could tell that he wanted to be friends again… But I couldn't bring myself to be close to him again. I felt like I'd just disappoint him again."

Mark paused. "But after that day, I changed. My focus was no longer on keeping my friends alive, and it showed. I became known for my ruthless tactics among my friends and enemies, and even when my sister tried to get me back to who I used to be, I couldn't. My focus became achieving victory, no matter what the cost. Gradually, my allies started to be disgusted with me, until one day, even that changed. Because of something that I did, I was branded as a traitor by my allies. Those that I had considered my closest and dearest friends quickly found their way out of my company, and I would have been outright exiled from the group had it not been for my sister. She stood up for me when everyone else, including her beloved, wanted my head. I was of half a mind to simply leave anyways, but she convinced me that I was needed to help with their cause."

Mark took a deep breath. Those memories pained him, Eirika could tell. She also noted that this was the first time she had ever seen Mark cry. Mark gave a sad smile before continuing. "And then came our final battle. We fought a being of incredible power, and I found myself face-to-face with the world-ending threat…" He took a deep breath. "I had to make a decision that day. Because of it, my sister is almost certainly dead. I betrayed her for the good of the world. I'm still trying to achieve peace with that decision, but I don't think I'll ever get it." Mark explained.

"Mark…" Eirika said, grabbing his hand to try to soothe him.

"And do you want to know what the best part is?" Mark said, his smile somehow turning into the saddest thing Eirika had ever seen. "As I betrayed her, the last words that I ever heard her say to me was how she despised me. She said words that hurt more than anything any of my other allies had ever said or done to me." Mark said, giving out a forced laugh at the memory. "So, after that, I quickly left my home. I left behind everything I ever knew and came to Renais to offer my services as a mercenary. I didn't expect Fado himself to take me in, but I was happy that he did. I told him everything, even the stuff that I can't tell you about. I expected him to kill me on the spot, or to send me back to my old allies to let them kill me for him. I certainly didn't expect him to hire me on the spot, but from that day forth, I pledged my services to making sure that he and his country would be safe." He trailed off, his smile finally changing into a frown. "Guess I did a pretty bad job of that too."

Eirika was silent, making sure that Mark was done, and thinking about how she would respond to what Mark had just told her.

"Mark. Listen to me." Eirika started, causing Mark to look up at her. His eyes widened when she threw her arms around him and hugged him with all her might."You are a **good person**. Okay? You've done everything with good intentions, and even when you had every reason to curl up, cry, and stop fighting, you never did. You stayed strong so you could protect the ones that you care about. Even if you never forgive yourself for what you've done… I do. I know that you haven't told me your full story, but I want you to know that no matter what you've done, I'll still want you by my side." Eirika said, giving Mark the warmest and most serene smile he had ever seen.

"Eirika… Thank you…" Mark said, returning the hug. The two stayed there like that until they both drifted off to sleep, tired from the day's fight. Ephraim eventually came across the two, and smiled upon seeing them in each other's embrace. He had Joshua help him transport the two back to their tents. Joshua certainly didn't mind. After all, his fortune already seemed to be coming true.

* * *

 **A/N: So yeah, Mark isn't his actual name. This had been planned since the beginning, and I've already got Mark's full backstory in mind. I'm trying to keep it a secret, but I've been dropping hints here and there.**

 **I'm not entirely sure about the conversation Mark had at the beginning of the chapter either. I don't know why, but I'm just not satisfied with it, even after a bunch of revisions.**

 **Also, next chapter's probably going to be a short little intermission. Just throwing that one out there.**

 **Finally, I feel like my works are getting worse and worse. Is that just me being overly critical, or do you guys agree?**


	10. Interlude: A Royal Birthday

Mark woke up, confused that he was in his own tent. Remembering the events of last night, he had fully expected to wake up sitting next to a tree. After wiping his eyes, Mark quickly exited his tent, only to see that it was still mostly dark out. Sighing, Mark came to terms with the fact that his sleep schedule was completely screwed. He walked past the ashes rest of the tents and waved at one of their new recruits, Kyle, who was on sentry duty.

"Hello there sir Mark. I didn't expect anyone else to be up this early." Kyle greeted.

"Yeah, I got an early sleep. I just woke up and wanted to go train, so I need to get far enough so I don't wake up anyone." Mark answered.

Kyle nodded in understanding. "Alright. Just don't go too far. We're pretty sure Grado won't find us, but you can never be too sure."

"I won't. I'll be back just after sunrise. Have a good rest of the night." Mark said, waving at Kyle as he left the camp.

After reaching a nice clearing next to a river, Mark gave his sword a few practice swings. It had been a while since he had practiced, but his previous battles were proof that he was still combat capable. Mark focused his mind to try and picture an enemy in front of him. He tried to recreate a standard Grado soldier in his mind, using the ones that he'd seen fight as an example. If he used some of their more standard techniques against them, it might give him more of an advantage in a fight.

While he was sparring against his invisible enemy, Mark failed to notice that he was being watched. The person in question was staring at Mark, completely mystified by his style of fighting. He seemed to dance around an invisible point, however, the person in question had another reason for following Mark out of camp.

Mark suddenly heard a small gasp from behind him, and spun to face the source of the noise. He saw the small girl that had been following Ephraim around earlier.

"Ah, hello. Myrrh, was it?" Mark greeted.

In response, Myrrh nodded meekly. It seemed that she was afraid of Mark for whatever reason.

"Is there anything I can do for you, or did you just want to watch me?" Mark asked, curious as to why the small girl had followed him. Suddenly, he noticed that the girl seemed to have something behind her back. Peering around to get a better view, he saw wings… _**Dragon**_ wings.

 _Well… That complicates things…_ Mark thought to himself. Then he remembered that she mentioned something about detecting a dark force the previous night. _No… She couldn't have-_

"S-sir Mark… I detected something strange from you last night… But I thought I was just tired. I came by here and I saw… Something dark." Myrrh started. Mark's eyes widened. "Please tell me sir Mark… Are the others safe? Can you you fight and still control-"

Mark cut Myrrh off by raising his hand. "I understand why you'd think that I'm dangerous. Please trust me when I say that the problem is contained for now. I had to hinder my own magic to do so, but so long as I don't fight too much, I won't be a problem."

Myrrh seemed to consider Mark's words for a few moments. "Okay… I guess I can trust you if Ephraim's sister does… But could you tell me what it is that's wrong with you? I've never seen anything like you."

Mark shook his head. "Sorry, milady, but I would prefer to keep that secret. If my power endangers those around me, then I will explain, but it is the cause of many of my worst experiences, and I would prefer to keep those to myself. Please, It would mean a lot to me if you kept this information to yourself." Mark pleaded.

Myrrh nodded. "Of course. I can tell that you are a good person… Just make sure that you tell Eirika first, okay? She's obviously very close to you. I could tell just from last night that you mean a lot to her." Myrrh said as she walked back towards camp.

Mark just stood there, staring at the spot where Myrrh had been a second ago. She had been so close, **SO CLOSE** to learning his secret. Had she pressed the issue further, he'd have to explain everything to the young manakete, and he wasn't sure if he was ready to trust someone with that information just yet. Luckily Eirika's trust in him had obviously earned him a few brownie points, but the girl did have a point: he had to tell Eirika eventually.

 _I think I can trust her… I doubt that she'd think anything worse than I already think to myself._ Mark thought.

 **No. To trust her would end every relationship that you've built in camp. If you're lucky, they'd execute you. If not, exile.** His paranoia told him.

 _But this is_ _Eirika_ _we're talking about. We're closer than that._

 **Oh really? And when she realizes that you'll be a danger to everyone around you? You're just forcing your choice onto her.**

… _Maybe you're right. But I know that eventually the secret will get out._

 **On that we agree.**

 _Then I'd rather let her know before things get too much worse. They're already relying on me much more than I'm comfortable with. If I stick around for too much longer, then I'd either be forcing them to keep me or leaving a large hole for them to fill when I'm gone._

… **Very well. Just know that whatever happens is your own fault.**

 _I'll deal with it, don't worry. "Hope for the best, prepare for the worst" might as well be my second motto._

With his mind finally made up, Mark decided to continue training, but promised himself that he'd look out for an opportunity to tell his secret to Eirika sometime in the future. For now though, he needed to get back to peak condition, which meant that he'd have to start the stamina training he promised he'd do back in Mulan. Sighing, Mark re-sheathed his sword and started running laps around camp.

* * *

A few hours later, Eirika awoke in her tent, just as confused as Mark as to how she got there. She exited her tent and saw that the sun was starting to rise and a majority of their group was gathered around the center of camp. Mark was also there, along with Joshua, her brother, and a few others, and he seemed to be telling the others the tale of what happened last night.

"...So then I'm running up the stairs, and somehow this guy is able to keep up with me in FULL ARMOR. I kid you not. I mean, I know I'm not the fastest runner in the world, but this guy should have been slower than me." Mark explained.

"Seems like you didn't have everything planned out." Joshua said with a smirk.

"I told you. I'm not perfect. Bite me." Mark replied with a smirk of his own. "Anyways, I get on the roof of the castle and he finally catches up to me. He manages to sweep my legs out from under me, and I go down."

"So how'd you get out?" Ephraim asked, genuinely curious not only about how the general was killed, but the capabilities of his sister's tactician.

"Well, I fired two bursts of light magic, making it look like I'd just barely missed him. This was the signal."

"For what?"

"For Neimi to shoot him with a ballista. We knew that the fortress would be close-quarters, so I had Neimi and Colm secure a ballista before the battle even started and told them that the signal to shoot would be two bursts of light magic above my target. The look on Tirado's face when he realized he'd been fooled was priceless." Mark said with a grin.

Ephraim grinned at the end of Mark's tale. "Good. That dastard had it coming to him; I'd seen him in towns when he was looking for me, and he was always very abusive towards the townsfolk."

"Really? Then I'm even happier about the result." Mark responded. He then noticed Eirika approaching out of the corner of his vision. "Hey there Eirika, want to join us?"

Eirika shook her head. "No, it appears as if I'm the last one to get up, so I might as well pack up my tent."

"No need to hurry, sister. After all that we've done to Castle Renvall, I imagine that they're going to focus most of their manpower on re-establishing their defences. After last night, everyone needs a break, so we're taking it a bit easier than normal this morning." Ephraim explained.

"Even so, I think I'll take down my tent rather than put it off for later." Eirika said, nodding farewell at her brother and Mark.

Ephraim watched his sister walk away before turning his attention to Mark. The others that had been listening to Mark's story had already wandered back to their own tents. "So, you seem close to my sister. Anything I should know about?" Ephraim asked.

Mark cocked his head at the crown prince in confusion. "Outside of the fact that we're friends? I don't believe so. Why?"

"No reason." Ephraim said, avoiding the topic. "Also, I'm curious. What are you going to get her for her birthday?"

Mark froze. "Her birthday?"

"Well, it's my birthday too, but I figured that you might have a present or something that you'll get her. I know it's the middle of a war and all, but Seth mentioned to me that he wanted to try and celebrate when we get back to Frelia."

"I… No one ever mentioned to me that-" Mark started.

"Relax. You've got a couple of weeks, and I'm sure she wouldn't mind whatever you got her. Just get her a new sword or something; I think her rapier's just about broken." Ephraim said offhandedly.

Mark sat there frozen as Ephraim made some form of remark about packing up. Mark didn't quite hear him, since his mind was attempting to find out what he'd do for Eirika's birthday. He had barely any opportunity to get something for the princess; they were actively avoiding towns as much as possible on their way back to Frelia. He would have to ask around to find out what Eirika liked, and while Seth would be the ideal source of such information, because of how the knight in question regularly treated Mark, that option was not available. Sighing, Mark decided to do what the others were doing and pack up his tent.

* * *

The day passed by quickly, and since everyone was anxious to get out of Grado territory, the group decided to not take a break after all. Eirika noticed that Mark had been deep in thought since they had left camp, but he didn't seem to want to talk to her about it. Frowning, Eirika wondered what it could be that Mark wasn't telling her.

 _He seemed to have no problem opening up to me last night… Maybe he regrets that? Is he just not used to trusting people?_ Eirika wondered, oblivious to someone approaching her from behind.

"Trouble in paradise, princess?" A voice asked from behind her. Turning around in an instant, Eirika saw that it was Joshua, and instantly frowned.

"Joshua. I'm not in the mood right now." The princess hissed through her teeth.

"Aww, C'mon princess… I just want to help out my poor, misunderstood friend." Joshua said with a cocky smile.

"No. Go away." Eirika warned.

Joshua sighed. "Okay, okay. I'll be serious. I may or may not have accidentally have eavesdropped on you two last night."

At those words, Eirika's eyes widened as she slowly turned to look at the mercenary.

"Joshua… What Mark told me last night was very personal. I know you two are close… But that is really something that he should have decided to tell you himself."

"Look, I know that, alright?" Joshua snapped at Eirika. "I feel like garbage for listening in on something that private, but he's my friend dammit, and I want to help him." He sighed. "What do we do? He's been branded as a traitor by his friends, and his sister disowned him. How do you come back from that?" He asked.

It was Eirika's turn to sigh. "I don't know." She whispered. She looked at the man in question with sadness in her eyes. "I want to help him, but from what I can gather, it's been years since all that happened. I think it helped to just tell one of us, but without the details… I don't know how much we can help." Eirika admitted.

Joshua nodded his head in response. "Let's just give him time and space… Maybe that's all he needs."

Before Eirika could respond, a third voice entered their conversation.

"Don't I get a say in all this?" Mark asked, causing the other two to jump slightly. Mark chuckled. "Come on you two, you really think I couldn't tell what my two best friends are talking about?"

The princess and mercenary both looked at the ground in shame. Mark chuckled at the sight.

"It's fine, you two. I was going to tell Joshua eventually, so I'm not too concerned about him finding out." Mark sighed. "And I get where you guys are coming from. I've gotten used to the idea that all of my friends are either dead or disgusted with me, but the best thing I can do now is to not think about it."

"Mark…" Eirika started.

"But enough of that. Like I said, I'll be fine. I've just got a lot on my mind as of late, but it did feel good to finally tell someone. Now, if you'll excuse me, I've got some planning to do." Mark finished.

With that, Mark walked towards the rear of their group, and continued to get lost in thought. Joshua and Eirika looked at each other for a brief moment, and Joshua shook his head in exasperation, and the two continued to walk in silence.

* * *

The next few days passed by quickly, and while everyone was definitely more relaxed since finding Ephraim, there was still an overall tension in the air, due in large part to Mark's subdued mood and everyone's desire to get out of Grado as quickly as possible. The group marched on in relative silence, and the journey that took them weeks before instead took them only one. Upon reaching Frelia's borders, everyone visibly relaxed. The mood improved in everyone save their own tactician, who seemed to have been relentlessly thinking about something for quite some time. She would have to talk to him about it after they talked to Hayden. As it was, the group entered Castle Frelia early in the morning, completely exhausted. They had all been eager to make it to the castle ever since they had crossed the border, and when they realized how close they were, the group had decided to march through the night. Upon reaching the inside of the castle walls, Eirika and Ephraim heard the familiar sound of pegasus wings, and Ephraim ordered all but his sister, Mark, Seth, and, to everyone's surprise, Myrrh, to go and find rooms to rest in. Ephraim and Eirika were then immediately tackled by a blur of blue and red, which Mark had managed to expertly sidestep away from. He snickered at the sight of not one, not two, but three royals tumbling to the ground.

"Eirika! Ephraim! I'm so happy you're both okay!" Tana exclaimed. "I prayed for your safety every day, but for you two to actually be here… It's like a dream come true!"

"Tana… Can't… Breathe…" Eirika managed to wheeze out.

"Oh! Sorry!" Tana apologized, jumping off the twins. Mark however, was not focused so much on Tana as he was Ephraim, whose cheeks had flushed an intense red.

 _How peculiar… I must ask him about that…_ Mark thought to himself.

"W-well, I'm sorry that we caused you to worry, Tana." Ephraim said, dusting himself off.

Tana waved her hand in dismissal. "Oh, it doesn't matter. Come, let's go see my father, my brother should still be here. He returned from the fields last night, but I'm sure he'll want to meet you."

Ephraim immediately tensed up at the mention of the Frelian Prince, which Eirika noticed, and responded by giving him a glare that screamed 'be nice'. Ephraim only grumbled something under his breath in response.

Upon entering the main hall, the five were treated with the sight of Innes ordering some servant to get ready rooms for their unexpected guests. He turned towards them, his face a neutral look of disdain mixed with well-hidden relief at the sight of his fellow royals.

"Brother! I didn't catch you last night! Oh, this is so great! First you, then Ephraim and Eirika!" Tana said excitably, eliciting a chuckle from everyone but Innes, who rolled his eyes.

"You didn't expect any less, did you?" Innes scoffed. "Grado's men couldn't even touch me. I could march from here to their capital and take down every soldier on my way!" He boasted.

In an attempt to change the subject, Ephraim stepped forwards with his own introduction. "Well met, Innes. I hope everything goes well on your front."

"...Ephraim." Innes replied simply, and Mark could practically hear the two of them grinding their teeth from where he was standing. Eirika sighed at the two's antics, and decided to speak up.

"Prince Innes, it is good to see that you are well." Eirika said with a warm smile. Innes gave the princess a respectful nod in response, but his expression did not change.

"Eirika." He stated tersely. "...They say Renais has fallen. This happened because you provided Grado the opportunity to strike." Innes commented bluntly.

Mark raised an eyebrow at the prince's statement. While more true than the Frelian prince realized, even Mark knew that it was a stupid idea to say something so callous so soon after the royals had lost so much.

"Brother! Mind your tongue! This is no occasion for such harsh words. Ephraim and Eirika have lost their father to this terrible war…" Tana chastised him.

"... I heard that your father died in the takeover. You have my sympathies. He was a good ruler." Innes relented, realising that he had gone too far, and walked out of the room.

Tana sighed. "Oh, Innes… I'm sorry, Eirika, Ephraim."

Ephraim shook his head with a sigh. "It's fine. It's at least comforting to see that, in all of this, he hasn't changed. Innes has hated me for as long as I can remember."

"My brother looks upon you as a rival, Ephraim. And as you know, he wants to be the best at everything. The best king, the best general, the best fighter, the best man… He won't allow himself to be beaten at anything." Tana informed the group.

"Tana you talk too much." Innes' voice came from down the hallway he had just disappeared. Turning to face the prince, Mark noticed that Innes had gone in the direction of the throne room. "...My father would like to meet all of you for a war council. Follow me if you wish to take part."

Eirika and Ephraim nodded, and their small group followed Innes towards the throne room, which is where the war council was currently being held. Upon noticing their arrival, the king smiled.

"Ephraim, Eirika, it does my heart good to see you all here safely within our castle walls. …Would that we had more time for pleasantries, but…let us hear your news." Hayden said.

Innes nodded. "Very well, I will begin. I've directed the body of Frelia's army south to engage Grado directly. Our troops are proving themselves on the battlefield, and Grado is learning the hard way that we only produce the best." Innes boasted.

"Yes, but the answer still remains… Why is Grado attacking in the first place?" Hayden pondered.

"Your majesty, I believe we can explain that." Eirika announced. "We learned of Grado's true intentions during our travels… Something that still haunts our thoughts."

Hayden nodded, remembering Eirika's message. "Yes, we received that notice from you. According to your sources, Grado is trying to destroy the sacred stones?"

"Indeed. We still have no idea what their reasons are, but we at least now know what they're planning." Mark added. Innes looked at Mark curiously, as if seeing him for the first time. The prince mentally assessed the tactician in his mind, attempting to judge his character at a glance.

"We've strengthened the tower that holds our own stone's defences. It is safe for the time being. However, we must learn Grado's true motives sooner or later, or else I fear we may be surprised with new knowledge at an inopportune time." The king admitted with a grimace.

"I ah… May actually be able to shed some light on that situation." Ephraim offered sheepishly. All eyes in the room turned on him, and he continued. "While I'm not entirely sure this relates… Myrrh, could you come here please?" Ephraim asked, surprising everyone.

"Yes?" Myrrh asked, her voice exceptionally quiet when she realized that all eyes were on her. Their eyes were all drawn to the small… Wings that were visible on her back, now that she was forced to bring her hood down in front of royalty.

"Who is this girl?" Hayden asked Ephraim.

"...Wings?" Eirika muttered questioningly underneath her breath, staring at her brother.

However, before Ephraim could say anything, Mark spoke up. "She is a manakete." He stated. Everyone focused on the tactician, and he saw that they clearly wanted more information. "They are essentially dragons in human form. They can revert to their draconic form with a stone, and I have heard that older ones can sense dark energy." He explained.

"A half-dragon?" Seth asked incredulously.

"And tell me tactician, how did you come across this knowledge?" Innes asked.

"Trust me, when it comes to dragons, I know a thing or two." Mark answered cryptically. "Manaketes are rare, but often worshiped. They live for a VERY long time." He added.

King Hayden nodded. "I do recall the term 'manakete' being tossed around many times in the legends of the sacred stones."

"... We live in the east, in the Darkling Woods… One day… We felt an ominous energy coming from the south."

"Grado…" Mark mumbled to himself.

"Saleh and I… We went to investigate this energy. But on our way down, we came across a battle and were drawn into the conflict."

"I found her in the company of a group of bandits. She had been wandering by herself near Renvall, and I rescued her." Ephraim informed the others.

"They… Took my dragonstone. They were preparing to transport me somewhere else when Ephraim managed to rescue me." Myrrh said with a shudder. She took one last look at Ephraim, who nodded for her to continue. "This dark wave of energy still flows from the southlands. Its current is strong and runs deep. It has awakened the evil ones. I want to stop it." She finished, trying very hard to get out of everyone's view.

"Hmm…. You have both given me much to think about." Hayden admitted. "I wish to talk things over with my generals. It is my understanding that you and your group are in need of a rest, so please help yourselves. We will continue where we left off tomorrow." The king concluded.

Everyone nodded their heads in acceptance. However, as Eirika and Ephraim's group left, Innes followed them, much to their surprise. When they were out of earshot of the throne room, he spoke up.

"You there. Tactician." Innes said.

Mark turned to face the prince, arching an eyebrow at the man. "Yes, milord?"

"What is your name?"

"I go by Mark, your highness."

Seth shook his head. "That is not actually his name, your highness. He claims that his real name is too recognizable, so he uses his middle name instead." Seth explained, frustrated that Mark was still using an alibi.

Innes' eyes widened. "Truly? Mark is your middle name?"

Mark looked hesitant to answer. "...Yes?"

Innes nodded his head slightly. "... You will be pleased to know that your sister is just fine." He said, as he turned around to walk away.

Seth and Eirika's eyes widened, while Ephraim and Myrrh just looked confused.

"You have a sister?" Ephraim asked.

"I… Yes, I have a sister." Mark explained, his voice wavering. "I had… Thought she was dead." The last part had said barely louder than a whisper. At that, everyone seemed to get the message that Mark didn't want to talk about it anymore, and the group continued towards where their rooms for the night were. Eirika and Seth hung back though, wanting to talk to each other.

"Milady, prince Innes knew who Mark was. We should ask him to tell us about our tactician." Seth suggested.

Eirika shook her head. "No Seth, Mark's past is none of our business. He has told me enough for me to believe that he is trustworthy. I will not pry into something so personal."

Seth let out a sigh. "Very well your highness. However, I must request that you let me ask the prince if Mark is trustworthy, if nothing more than to give myself peace of mind."

Eirika nodded in acceptance. "That is fine, just do not press him too much for information." She said, as she walked off towards her room.

However, Seth did not go back to his room. He wanted to surprise his charges by celebrating their birthday in a more traditional manner, but he knew he couldn't do it on his own. Grumbling, he walked over to where he knew Mark's room was. He knocked on the door, and Mark opened it almost immediately.

"Yes?" Mark asked.

"Sir Mark, I require your assistance for something important." Seth said, surprising Mark.

"Alright, well what do you need me for?" Mark asked.

"You are aware that the prince and princess' birthday is tomorrow, correct?" At Mark's nod, Seth continued. "I would like to get together a celebration for tonight, but I cannot do it on my own. Could I count on you to get supplies from in town if I gave you a list?" Seth asked.

"Sure, but why do you need me to do it?" Mark asked.

"It is a well-known fact that you very rarely sleep more than a few hours a night. I imagined that you could make use of your limited sleep schedule to do something productive. Was I wrong?"

"Not at all. Give me the list, and I'll get everything done in no time!" Mark exclaimed happily.

* * *

The next several hours passed by in a blur for the two servants of the crown, as they frantically tried to arrange something resembling a royal birthday. Seth had insisted that they make a cake themselves, which meant that Seth had to make the cake, as Mark reminded Seth that his own cooking skills were terrible. Eventually the two managed to set up a small room in the castle with a few presents for the royalty as well as a small banquet. Seth nodded in approval at the scene. He and Mark had done quite a bit in a short amount of time, and Seth had to admit that Mark was quite a lot of help for the planning effort. That being said, he still wanted to talk to the Frelian prince about their tactician.

However, he now had the pleasant duty to tell the prince and princess about their party. Mark had suggested that he be the one to tell the royals, since it was Seth that did a majority of the planning for the party. Mark himself had gone off to get the other party guests together, and he had been surprisingly successful in that field. Seth was just outside of prince Ephraim's room, and after gaining entrance, noted that he was currently in conversation with his sister. They turned to face the doorway that Seth had just walked through.

"Ah, greetings Seth. My sister and I were just catching up on what has happened since we last saw each other. I thank you for all that you have done for her. You have been a loyal knight and friend in the last few months." Ephraim said with a smile.

Seth responded with a smile of his own. "I only did my duty, your highness, but I thank you all the same. Now, I came by to inform you both that dinner is ready, if you'll follow me." He said, gesturing towards the hallway. The prince and princess followed him, though they started to become more and more confused. They had been to Castle Frelia many times, but the way that they were going was not towards the banquet hall. When Eirika voiced these concerns, Seth simply smiled.

"Don't worry, we're going the right way." Seth answered, which only served to confuse the twins further.

However, once they were getting close, the twins realised that they were going towards the ballroom, and realised what was happening. They looked at each other with a grin on their face. Upon opening the door, they saw all of their friends, as well as the Frelian royal family, waiting for them, as well as a small collection of presents.

"HAPPY BIRTHDAY!" A chorus of voices shouted.

Eirika and Ephraim's smiles only widened when they saw their friends all gathered in the ballroom, and the wide spread of food on the table certainly helped.

"Seth, did you do this for us?" Eirika asked the knight.

He shook his head. "I cannot take all the credit milady. Sir Mark helped me organize this."

Mark rolled his eyes. "Don't listen to him Eirika. I only got a few things for him. He planned and organized the whole thing."

Seth rubbed the back of his head in embarrassment, and was about to protest further when Ephraim spoke up. "Either way, I thank you both for this. My sister and I didn't expect anything so nice in the middle of all this conflict."

Surprisingly, Joshua was the one that spoke up. "You both have done a whole lot in the last few months. Without the two of you, who knows what would have happened to the rest of us." This got a few cheers of agreement from the others. "The least we can do after you both have worked so hard is celebrate in your honor." The mercenary said with a wide smile.

At his words, the celebrations kicked off. The royals opened their gifts first, which consisted of a variety of small arms and medicine; they knew that they were likely going to go back into battle soon, and any gifts given had to be small and practical. The food disappeared quickly, and the cake vanished in the blink of an eye. People were mingling about and generally having a good time. However, Eirika soon noticed that one person was not a part of the festivities: Mark. She asked Joshua if he had seen the tactician leave, and he said that Mark had stepped out onto the balcony for some reason. Thanking the mercenary, Eirika decided to see what Mark was up to.

She walked out onto the balcony and saw Mark leaning on the railing with his elbows. He was staring off into the distance, a thoughtful expression covering his face.

"A gold piece for your thoughts?" Eirika asked, startling Mark from his thoughts.

He turned his head ever so slightly to see the princess of the hour, who was leaning her back against the railing of the balcony.

"Not too much, just thinking about how Innes knew who I am, and what might happen because of that." Mark admitted.

"I'm sure everything will be fine Mark. You have proven yourself to us time and time again, and if anyone still doubts your motives, then I will defend you with everything that I can." Eirika stated.

Mark gave a sad smile. "Kind of you to say that, Eirika, but you still don't really know what I've done… If you did…" He trailed off, his smile becoming a frown. "... I'm not sure you would defend me as much as you have."

Eirika gave a sigh. "You know, you remind me of my friend Lyon sometimes." She said, gaining Mark's attention.

"The crown prince of Grado? You two were close?"

"Yes. He, my brother and I were quite close. He was a quiet person, but kind at heart. But much like yourself, he had a tendency to think quite lowly of himself. My brother and I could never quite convince him that he was much more important and talented then he gave himself credit. It was always so painful for me to listen to him talk about how he wasn't fit to rule, and how he always wished he was more like my brother." She sighed, and turned to look Mark in the eye. "You are important to us Mark. You guided us through many hardships and helped me get back my brother. You were responsible for the recruitment of most members of our group." She paused. "More specifically though… You are valuable to me. You helped cure my nightmares, saved me from monsters, comforted me when I needed it, and in the short few months I've known you, you've been one of the best friends I've ever had." Eirika said with a warm smile. "So know that I truly do not care about what you've done. I will help you regardless."

Mark stared at the princess in silence for a few moments. He was humbled by her words, but had no idea how to show her how much they meant to him. Suddenly, he had an idea.

"Princess, I suddenly remembered that I still haven't given you your birthday present." Mark commented.

Eirika waved her hands. "Oh no Mark, you don't have to get me anything."

"Nonsense. I've got it on me. Just close your eyes and I'll give it to you."

Sighing in mock frustration, Eirika closed her eyes. Mark chuckled at her antics, but got up from his position anyways.

"Hold out your hands." Mark told her.

The moment she did so, Eirika heard what sounded like the rustling of cloth. _He's probably getting my present out from his cloak._ Eirika thought to herself. Suddenly, she felt a significant weight deposit itself into her hands.

"You can open your eyes now." Mark said.

As Eirika opened her eyes, she saw something that she hadn't expected: Mark wasn't in his cloak. Instead, he had on his disheveled shirt and pants combo. Looking down, he saw that his cloak was in her hands. Mark caught her staring at the cloak and chuckled.

"Don't worry, I cleaned it an hour ago." Mark joked.

Eirika shook her head. "It's not that, it's just… Why did you give me this? You wear it all the time." She said, confusion evident on her face.

"A few reasons. The first being that I remembered the last time we were in this castle, you commented on how you wanted a cloak like mine. I couldn't find one, so mine will have to do. Second, this cloak was given to me by your father, so I figured you would want something else to remember him by." Mark explained.

Eirika nodded, her attention still focused on the cloak. She looked up at Mark. "Thank you Mark… It means a lot to me that you would let me keep this." She said.

"No problem Eirika. Here, I'll get it on for you." Mark said, picking up the cloak and helping Eirika put it on.

The cloak was heavier than Eirika had expected, though it was as cozy as it had always felt when she had used it as a pillow on Mark's lap. After moving her arms into the sleeves, Mark and Eirika came face-to-face. He looked her over.

"It looks good on you." Mark commented.

Eirika's face beamed in response. "Thank you." She said.

Whatever Mark was going to say in response was lost as the two of them made eye contact. Something happened in that moment that neither would be able to explain for months to come. Upon making eye contact that night, the two of them froze. The rest of the world faded into non-existence as they lost themselves in the other person's eyes. Eirika took a step towards Mark-

And then they were both suddenly thrown out of their trance as a very drunk Joshua threw the door open to the balcony. The two stepped away from each other and whipped their heads to face the red-haired mercenary.

"Heeeeey~ so this is where you two are!" Joshua said with a grin. Then he noticed Eirika's change of clothing. "Oooooh princess~ are you taking advantage of Mark? For sh-*hic*-shame!" Joshua joked, causing the princess of Renais to blush furiously.

Mark shook his head at Joshua's antics, but was realized that Joshua was already pulling both him and Eirika back into the party room.

"Look! There's a dansh floor!" Joshua slurred, heading towards the area were, as Joshua said, dancing. The redhead grabbed a person at random and pulled them towards the dance floor.

"Gods, how many drinks has he had?" Eirika asked incredulously.

"None." Mark answered in reply. Eirika's eyes widened and jaw dropped at the statement, and Mark decided to explain further rather than poke fun at her hilarious expression. "He didn't have any alcohol on his breath, so he's probably just pretending so he can get away with stuff he normally wouldn't." Mark commented.

Eirika shook her head in exasperation. Indeed, had she known that Joshua was completely sober, she probably would have been much harsher on him for interrupting them and teasing her. She sighed, and looked over to Mark.

"Would you dance with me for one song? I'm tired, but I'd still like to dance before I go to sleep." Eirika asked.

Mark smiled in response, and held out a hand for her to take. "Of course 'milady'." Mark said teasingly.

Eirika scowled, and Mark chuckled in response. He knew that she hated it when he was formal with her, but he knew that they both needed to quickly get over the awkwardness of whatever had happened outside.

 _What was that, anyways?_ The two of them wondered as they walked towards the dance floor.

The two of them turned out to be quite good dancers, and Eirika was pleasantly surprised by Mark's ability to dance. She had been taught by various tutors how to do many things as a princess, and dancing was one of them. She wondered how Mark had learned, but decided not to question it, and simply enjoy the dance that they were sharing.

"Is that Seth dancing with Natasha?" Mark asked.

Turning in the direction that Mark had indicated, Eirika did indeed see Seth and Natasha dancing quite close to each other. She smiled. She knew that Natasha had a crush on Seth, and she hoped that her friend would eventually reciprocate those feelings.

"Good for them." Eirika commented with a smile.

After a few more minutes, the song started winding down, and the two walked out of the dance area.

"Thank you Mark, you and Seth gave my brother and I one of our best birthdays ever." Eirika commented.

"Wow, I'm sorry princess." When Eirika looked at him with confusion, he continued. "You must have had some pretty awful birthdays." He joked.

She lightly punched his shoulder. "I mean it! After everything that's happened recently, I wasn't sure I could have an enjoyable moment like this… But it was just what I needed to take my mind off everything."

Mark gave Eirika his goofy grin. She noted that it had been quite some time since he had last seen it, and it comforted her to get to see it once again. Mark was about to say more, but he saw Seth walking over with Innes.

"Well, it seems like I'm needed, so I'll see you in the morning, Eirika." Mark said.

Eirika frowned, seeing what he was looking at. "Are you sure that you don't want me to help you?" Eirika asked.

"No, it's better if I defend myself. If you keep defending me, they'll eventually think that I'm just deceiving you. Go to bed Eirika, I'll be fine." Mark said.

Eirika looked between him and the two that were approaching, and grudgingly left the room, though not before sending one last glance in Mark's direction. He flashed her one last grin in response, and turned to face Seth and Innes.

"What can I do for you gentlemen?" Mark asked cordially.

"Why don't you tell us why you're here, 'Mark'" Innes said coldly.

"Well, Eirika's my friend, and it would be a shame to leave after I helped Seth set up the party-"

"That's not what he meant and you know it." Seth growled.

Mark sighed. "No, I suppose it isn't, is it? In answer to your question, I didn't really have much of a choice."

Innes nodded. "Understandable. My main question is how are you here? Last I heard, you were dead."

Mark grinned. "Apparently death is too good for me."

That caused the other two to raise their eyebrows. "What? You think I don't regret what I've done? I'm responsible for countless deaths, and quite a few of them weren't even enemies." Mark commented.

Innes scrunched up his nose. "I was more concerned about your reputation. The 'Warmaster' was known for very deceptive tactics before his demise." Innes commented.

Seth's eyes widened at the title given to Mark. "He's the-" Seth started, before Mark cut him off.

"Please don't use that name." Mark pleaded, his eyes suddenly looking very tired. "I don't care what you want me to do after this, but that name has too many painful memories attached to it." The two eyed him wearily, but nodded affirmatively. "Thank you. I know that my reputation is not the most flattering, but that is not a concern of yours anymore."

"How so?" Seth asked.

"I'm leaving." Mark said, surprising the two. "Every moment that I travel with your group puts all of you in danger. I can't guarantee that I can retain my sanity if I stay so close to battlefields."

"What?! Why?" Innes asked.

At this, Mark raised an eyebrow. "You mean you don't know?" Mark asked. When the two of them shook his head, he paused. He shook his own head and continued. "It doesn't matter. Unless I get exceedingly unlucky, you will never see me again. I have left a note in my room for the princess. I would appreciate it if you delivered it to her. Feel free to read it first." Mark said.

The tactician started to walk out of the room, but the two men walked in front of him. "I think not." Innes said, walking in front of Mark. "Not only are you under the employ of Renais, we now have a warrant to take you in for questioning." Innes said smoothly.

Seth seemed uncomfortable with the idea of taking Mark in for questioning, but both he and the Frelian prince were confused when Mark started chuckling.

"Okay, okay… First, you are incorrect. My contract with Renais ended when King Fado died. Second, you both forget that I'm never without options." Mark said with a grin.

At the end of Mark's statement, he disappeared in a blinding flash. Cursing, Seth momentarily forgot that Mark still had warp powder left. He tried to remember how much the tactician had said he had left, but he could not for the life of him remember. Innes looked at Seth questioningly, and Seth explained how Mark could use warp powder to teleport.

Innes scowled. "Then what you're telling me is that he could be anywhere, since we both have no idea how far he can travel or how much warp powder he had on his person."

"Unfortunately your highness, this appears to be the case." Seth said with a grimace. "It would be pointless to try to follow him. He doesn't leave a trace when he teleports."

Innes sighed. "Well, at least we won't have to worry about betraying us for now. However, we should keep an eye out for him in the future." Innes warned.

Seth nodded in affirmation. The group would have to watch out for the ex-tactician in the future, he could prove to be exceptionally dangerous.

* * *

Mark however, was staring at Castle Frelia from the top of a nearby mountain. Sighing, he regretted that he had to leave, but he knew that if he stayed he would only cause more pain to the small group. He needed a solution before he got worse, so he headed towards the only place that might help him: Caer Pelyn.

 _Nothing will ever save you from me_ The voice told him. _I hate you, and I will ensure that your torment is eternal._

 **A/N:**

 **HOLY CRAP AN UPDATE**

 **Okay, so things got really crazy for me. Firstly, I'm currently failing some of my college courses, so don't expect the weekly schedule I used to have. Secondly, I lost quite a lot of this stuff when my google docs crashed (long story)**

 **But yeah, I've decided that I'm going to reveal Mark's backstory a little bit earlier than I had originally intended.**

 **Finally, I'm not happy about how I've done Myrrh's character at the start here. I have a hard time writing nervous characters, so I'll probably re-write that part at some point.**


	11. Distant Blade

Ephraim awoke late, since he had not been used to sleeping in a bed for quite some time, and his body was finally forcing him to get the rest that he had missed out on in the past few months. thinking back to the night before, the crown prince smiled. Perhaps it was a bit of a waste of time, but it was nice for Ephraim to have a moment to simply enjoy what he had, and he was sure that his sister was appreciative as well. However, as soon as he thought of his sister, he heard her voice arguing with someone outside of his room. Curious, Ephraim quickly got dressed and exited his room to see what the source of the disturbance was.

The sight that greeted him was a complete surprise, however. His sister was almost shouting at prince Innes, who looked like he was equally angry at her. This was strange, since his sister was normally one of the few people that tolerated Innes' behavior. Looking around, Ephraim spotted Tana, who was staring at the two with exasperation. Wanting to get answers, Ephraim approached the princess, who brightened visibly and smiled upon her approach.

Now, it should be said that Ephraim definitely didn't have a crush on princess Tana. It would be completely inappropriate for a crown prince and soldier of Renais to pine for another woman secretly from afar like some kind of lovesick teenager, even if she was a princess. No, that would be against who he was supposed to be.

Which is why they had secretly been courting each other for about a year now.

It had actually been Tana that had wanted to keep their relationship a secret, since she knew her brother would never approve and would only try to separate them. It was no secret that Innes and Ephraim had a legendary rivalry, and Tana didn't want that to affect their relationship. Because of this, no one knew about the two of them except for Eirika, since she was Tana's best friend and Ephraim's sister.

It had initially been difficult for Ephraim to get over the idea that he had fallen for the Frelian princess, but it was easy for him to figure out why. Between her always-cheerful attitude, caring nature, and the fact that she always supported him in everything that he did. Even during that stupid competition that he'd had with Innes on Tana's birthday, the princess cheered him on instead of her brother.

However, that certainly didn't make it any less awkward when he couldn't remember anything else about that day, when Tana apparently had…

But seeing her smile, even while he knew a war was raging, always made him feel better, like everything would be fine in the end. That was why, even though his sister was arguing with his rival, he could freely zone out the rest of the world except for her.

"Good morning Tana. I hope you are doing well?" Ephraim greeted, aware that Innes was within listening distance.

Tana sighed, and her smile shifted into one that was much more forced. "It was fine until these two started." She said with a sigh.

"What started this?" Ephraim asked. "Eirika has always put up with Innes in the past."

"Well… Apparently sir Mark left last night." Ephraim's expression became one of shock. "I know, I didn't expect it either. I think Eirika did though. She came out of Mark's room this morning angrier than I'd ever seen her. She went to Seth first, but apparently he didn't have much to do with it, so she came after Innes next. She was actually quite patient with him until Innes started insulting Mark. After that, she leapt to his defense, and the two haven't stopped for a good ten minutes."

Ephraim pondered this. While his sister was always loyal to her friends, this was more than she had ever done for one of them. While part of him simply chalked it up to Mark being a constant source of mistrust for the past few months. Another part of him was curious if there was more.

"Think there's something going on between the two of them?" Ephraim asked Tana.

She tilted her head in thought. "It's possible I guess. The two were definitely close at the party last night, and that mercenary, I think his name was Joshua? He seemed to think that the two had something going on."

Ephraim thought about this. His sister had told him about how Seth used to have a crush on her, but as far as he was aware, she had never been in a relationship. He knew that she would tell him if she had feelings for someone, so Ephraim was fairly confident that nothing was happening… Yet.

Shaking his head of those thoughts, Ephraim focused on the nearby argument. Innes seemed frustrated to the point where he had given up.

"This conversation is a complete waste of time. You obviously aren't listening to what I'm telling you, so I am leaving. Here is a letter that the 'Warmaster' left for you." Innes said, tossing an envelope over his head as he left.

As Eirika dove for the letter, Ephraim's eyes widened. He was barely aware of Tana asking him what was wrong, but he needed to confirm what he just heard.

"Eirika…" Ephraim started. His sister turned to face him. "Is it true? Is Mark the Warmaster?" Ephraim asked.

Eirika nodded. "Yes, that's what Innes called him." At the mention of the Frelian prince, she frowned. "He was being so stubborn! He claimed that Mark wasn't trustworthy, and when I mentioned tracking him down, he said that Mark 'wasn't worth the effort'!"

But Ephraim barely heard anything beyond Eirika's confirmation. His mind was trying to process this new information. Mark was the Warmaster. He had fought besides the Warmaster. He had been taught by the Warmaster. For crying out loud, the Warmaster had been his sister's tactician! What had his father been thinking!

But these stops came to a halt as he remembered the man. Though they hadn't talked much, the idea of Mark being the man behind the Warmaster's legend was almost unbelievable. Either the tales had been wrong, or Mark had changed.

"Ephraim? Brother is everything alright?" Eirika asked. "Does the name 'Warmaster' actually mean something?"

Ephraim looked to Eirika. How much would she believe, if he told her the full story? For that matter, how much of Mark's full story did Ephraim actually know?

He sighed in defeat. "I must admit sister, this has certainly caught me by surprise. I would never have guessed that Mark had been the Warmaster. He seems so different from how the stories portray him…"

"What do you mean?"

"The Warmaster of the stories was a demon of the battlefield. No matter where he stepped, friends and enemies alike would fall. From the back of the battle, his tactics were merciless, cruel, and often resulted in heavy casualties for both sides. When he was on the front, it was said that he exploited any weaknesses he could find in the enemy, to the point where it was rumored that he could manipulate the minds of his opponents and make them believe whatever he wanted."

Eirika digested this information before shaking her head. "You're right. That doesn't sound like Mark. Either the stories are wrong, or he's changed. Either way, I don't care. I view him as trustworthy."

Ephraim had been holding back some information, but decided that Eirika needed to know. "Sister… It's said that the Warmaster was a master of deception. Before he died, he committed a great treason against the people that he had served with for years. He made them believe that he had been on their side since the moment he joined them, only to betray them for his own benefit."

"Wait, what's this about Mark dying?" Eirika asked.

"Allegedly, the Warmaster died three years ago… Around the same time that Mark was employed by father, actually… But apparently that is false. I don't know how he got here sister, but please be cautious with him." Ephraim pleaded.

Ephraim soon found himself facing his sister's glare, and he shivered. From what his father had told Ephraim, she had inherited her mother's glare, a force so powerful that it caused generals to whimper in fear. While Ephraim was more tolerant than most, that was like saying that he was used to getting stabbed.

"Brother. I will not repeat myself again. Mark has given me an overview of his background well before Innes found out who he was. He has been a stalwart ally for us all, and a great friend to me when I needed him most. Now he needs me, and I'm not going to abandon him now." Eirika remarked. However, a thought entered her head and she frowned. "Although from what I heard, we have no idea where to start…"

That was when Tana decided to chip in. "Well, Innes said that he left you that letter, right? Maybe he told you something there?"

Eirika perked up at the idea. "You're right. I need to read this." She said, excusing herself.

Tana shook her head. "You know, I'm starting to think that Joshua might be right." She said with a grin.

Ephraim frowned. "I hope not. My sister is trusting to a fault. I'm worried that Mark is taking advantage of that."

Tana rolled her eyes. "And I think that's just you being an overprotective brother. Eirika's stronger than you think. Now come on, we barely ever get any time to ourselves anymore." Tana said, pulling Ephraim towards to castle gardens.

Eirika opened the letter as soon as she got into her room. She quickly read it, desperate for any clues as to where Mark might have gone.

 _Dear Princess Eirika,_

 _I know that you likely are trying to find out where I've gone. Please do us both a favor._

 _Don't._

 _I am a danger to myself, the people around me, and the world at large. There is nothing that you can do to change that. I would have told you more, but I am a selfish person, and would prefer for you to have a positive image of me._

 _I am heading somewhere that you are unlikely to have ever heard of. If all goes well, I hope that the people there will be able to help me, but I am not optimistic. If they cannot help me, then I will be returning to my homeland, where I will almost certainly be killed._

 _I have enjoyed our talks immensely, and I am sure that you will be able to complete your campaign without me. In my room is a bottle of medicine that I have been taking that gets rid of nightmares. If my robe is not enough for your nightmares to leave you at night, please feel free to use it. The taste is bitter, but the results are undeniable._

 _From your loyal tactician,_

 _Mark_

Internally, Eirika panicked. From Mark's letter, it sounded like he intended to die. Why? Why would Mark ever willingly put himself in danger of dying? Did he feel guilty? What was the danger that he claimed to pose on the rest of them?

She sighed. It reminded her of when she had first met the tactician, and all the questions that she used to have for him. He had answered many, but still more were left unanswered. Suddenly, her thoughts were interrupted by a knock on the door. Opening it, she saw that Franz was in the doorway.

"Beg your pardon, your majesty, but there's been a problem, and you're needed in the war room" The cavalier said.

Eirika nodded and let Franz guide her towards the war room. When Eirika asked Franz what the problem was, he explained that he wasn't informed. That only worried Eirika more, so they picked up their pace. They were apparently the last one arrived, and everyone had downcast looks on their faces. Eirika pointedly looked away from Innes.

"What's wrong?" She asked.

Hayden looked up at her from his map of the continent. "We have confirmation that Grado is truly trying to destroy the sacred stones… For they destroyed ours."

Eirika recoiled in shock. "What?! How?"

"One of Grado's finest generals, Selena Fluorspar, attacked it with a contingent of Grado soldiers. Their tactics were very strange… Almost like they didn't care how many soldiers they lost, so long as they got the stone." Seth replied.

"Hmm… That is most disturbing indeed…" Ephraim mused quietly to himself.

"We couldn't capture their generals, and all the prisoners that we did capture had no idea as to what Grado's intentions were." Innes added.

"We must warn Jehanna and Rausten." Hayden decided. "If Grado's goal is to destroy all of the sacred stones, then we must prevent them from doing so before it is too late. It is said that the demon king's magic is stored within the stones… I do not like the implications of this." He said with a grimace.

"But will they even believe us?" Ephraim asked. "I doubt I would have believed Grado's intentions if I hadn't seen it myself."

"You're right… Maybe-" Hayden started.

"I will go to Jehanna myself." Innes interrupted, grabbing everyone's attention. "I doubt that they would ignore a direct visit from the crown prince of Frelia." He scoffed.

As Hayden seemed to ponder his options, Eirika spoke up. "And I will go to Rausten." Seeing her brother's panicked look, she put her hand up to silence him. "Peace brother. I will be traveling by sea, there will be no danger. I cannot sit by idly when my help could make a difference."

Ephraim stared at her for a few moments, only to sigh with resignation. "I understand. I sometimes forget how similar we are, sister. I think I'd do the same." A thought popped into his head. "In fact, I think I will. King Hayden, I will take troops and march on the imperial capital to the west."

At this, everyone's expressions turned into shock, especially Eirika and Tana's.

"The west?! Are you saying that you will begin your assault on Grado from here?!" Hayden asked in shock.

"If we can take Grado keep, then the war will be over. I'm not saying that it is certain we will be able to do it, but this is our best chance to end the war quickly, and I believe that we are capable of doing so with our forces." Ephraim said.

At this, Innes seemed to reluctantly nod. "It makes sense father. I would agree with Ephraim on this, loathe as I am to admit it."

Hayden only sighed in response, burying his face in his hands. "You both have your father's foolhardy courage… I sincerely hope, for all of our sakes, that you succeed. Please understand that if even one part of this plan fails, Grado will gain the upper hand. None of you can afford to fail. Do you think that you can do it?"

Three nods around the room gave Hayden his answer. He sighed again and waved them out. "If that's what you think, then so be it. I cannot stop you."

The three gave short bows and left the room. Innes quickly excused himself, explaining that he would have to prepare for his upcoming journey. The twins, however, held back a little bit before they left.

"I still don't like that you're going off on your own, butting is as King Hayden said: there's nothing I can do about it." Ephraim said, breaking the silence.

"How do you think I feel? You're challenging the empire itself! If that's not a reason to worry, I don't know what is." Eirika responded.

"What's this? Have you so little faith in me?" Ephraim asked, adopting a mock hurt expression.

Eirika shook her head. "No. I know your strength brother. I know you can do this. I only ask that you give me the same courtesy."

"Hm. Very well. You should be fine. However, it would give me peace of mind if you were to take Forde and Kyle with you." When Eirika started to protest, Ephraim continued. "I will be traveling with a small army of Frelia's finest. While their company would be appreciated, I know that you will not have a large escort with you. It would help you immensely if they came with you."

Eirika nodded in acceptance. "Very well. But in return, I want you to promise that if you see Mark on your journey, you'll bring him back." Eirika said.

Ephraim smiled. "Of course, sister. You're not the only one who thinks Mark is trustworthy. His identity just took me by surprise earlier. I don't know if I mentioned this, but he actually helped me improve my fighting a few months before this all started. I know that he is a good man, and if I see him, I will convince him to come back."

Eirika give a wide grin and embraced her brother. "Thank you Ephraim." She said. She released him, and nodded her head. "I will see you soon, brother. Please be safe." She said, exiting the room to ready herself for her travels.

* * *

Meanwhile, in the Grado capital, the generals were gathered before their emperor. His breathing was sounding more and more forced by the day, and a few of them wondered if their ruler was ill, but had not been informed of him having seen any doctors recently.

"The stone of Frelia has been shattered, and yet none of you have managed to find the stone of Renais. But it is no matter. Glen, Valter, find the remaining royals of Renais and eliminate them. Glen, take Eirika. Valter, take Ephraim."

Glen grit his teeth and nodded reluctantly, but Valter chuckled madly. "Heh heh… Eirika, eh? She's a ripe little peach… You're a lucky one Glen. I'll have to satisfy myself with revenge on her brother."

No one ever commented on Valter's madness, as they had all started to get used to it.

"Riev, Caellach, you will shatter the remaining sacred stones. Riev, you will take Rausten. Caellach, you will take Jehanna's."

"Yes your majesty." Riev replied.

"Bah! Why do I have to take that waste of land?! This hardly seems fair." Caellach grumbled, but Vigarde didn't heed his complaints.

"Duessel. Go to Frelia and punish Ephraim. Leave no survivors." Vigarde ordered. Duessel left without a word, though if anyone had seen his face as he left, they would have noticed that he had a pained expression on his face.

"Selena. You will stay here and defend the capital. I will have further orders for you later."

"Yes sire." Selena replied. She left immediately afterwards. After the generals left, Lyon, having hidden behind his father's throne, allowed the spell to drop, revealing nothing but a corpse sitting in the throne.

* * *

After only a few hours of walking, Eirika's group heard the sound of Pegasus wings from behind them. Turning, Eirika saw her friend Tana's form approaching from above.

"Eirika!" Tana exclaimed.

"Tana?" Eirika asked incredulously. "What are you doing here?"

"You and Ephraim left so quickly, without even saying goodbye to me! You both just got back from Grado and now you're leaving me behind again! I don't want to sit back while you, Ephraim, and my brother go off to fight. I will help!" Tana shouted.

Eirika, taken aback by her friend's sudden assertiveness, only nodded. "Well… Okay, but does King Hayden know of this?"

"Yes." Tana answered.

Eirika could sense that Tana was withholding information. "Tana… Did he approve of this?"

"...No. He just went on about how he 'forbids me from going on this foolish errand'." She said, giving her best imitation of her father's voice.

Eirika sighed. "Alright. We're too far away to head back now anyways. I understand why you want to do this Tana, but you'll have to be careful." She said, looking her best friend directly in the eyes to get her message across.

Tana nodded. "I understand. I know I'm not the best fighter, but I'm sure I'll be valuable."

And with that, they all continued on their journey, only to stop for the night a few hours later. Tana ended up sharing a tent with Eirika, since the two wanted to catch up on what had happened over the last few months.

"So why didn't you go with my brother?" Eirika asked. "I figured you would want to keep him company."

Tana blushed. "Well, I wanted to, but I had no idea where he'd gone. All I knew was that he went 'west'. Since he's in enemy territory, I figured I would cause more harm than good heading after him. I knew exactly where you were going though, so I followed the path to Port Kiris."

"Good thinking." Eirika conceded.

"What I want to know is what's happening between you and Mark." Tana said.

Eirika blushed at the implications. "Not you too…"

"I mean, it's kind of obvious." Tana started. "I know the two of you danced together last night, and I know he gave you his cloak, which he's apparently worn for months. On top of that, Joshua told me that the two of you would sleep together pretty often-"

"WHAT?! NO! We never- I never- We didn't-" Eirika stammered quickly, desperately trying to defend herself.

"Relax Eirika, I didn't mean like that." Tana said, desperately trying to hold her laughter. "Joshua told me that you'd been having nightmares, and sleeping in his tent somehow helped you. Although he didn't tell me that until an hour later. Honestly, I thought that you'd been… Intimate at first."

Shaking her head vigorously, Eirika responded. "No. Mark and I aren't like that. He's been kind to me, for sure, but there isn't anything more going on."

"Yet." Tana replied, a teasing grin on her face.

"Tana!" Eirika exclaimed in embarrassment.

* * *

Days later, when the group reached the port, they immediately took notice of the bustling nature of the city. Seth rode next to Eirika.

"From here, a ship should take us ten days to reach Rausten. Do you remember your cover?" He asked Eirika.

"Yes. I'm Erina. A mercenary looking for work in Rausten. Don't worry Seth, I won't forget. Now let's hurry. We must find a ship as quickly as possible."

Secretly, Eirika was hoping that she'd see Mark here, though she knew that the odds were low. He had said that he would head back to his homeland if he couldn't fix whatever it was that was putting them in danger, so it was possible that he'd come through Port Kiris, as it had the largest number of ships that travelled to other continents.

The sound of a loud woman's voices got the group's attention. Looking over, there was a regal-looking woman talking to a large man with an even larger axe, as well as a shady-looking man. Seth paled at the sight.

"Ei-" Seth started, catching himself. "Erina… We should avoid those people." Seth said.

"But wh-" Eirika started, before a high-pitched cry interrupted her thoughts.

"Oh, is that you Sir Knight? Oh how wonderful it is to see you again! Such providence!" The woman said.

Seth sighed in response, and the shady man said something under his breath that Eirika didn't quite catch.

"Oh, you simply MUST try these pastries! They are simply divine!" She exclaimed proudly.

"Uh…" Eirika started, looking at Seth, who simply shook his head. "Thank you, but I fear that we are busy. We are attempting to travel to the Theocracy of Rausten, and we must find a boat as quickly as possible."

"Oh, is that so? Oh dear, I fear that you'll find none to assist you. No ships are leaving port." The woman explained.

"Pardon?" Eirika asked, blinking in confusion.

"You see, I find myself heading home once more to my beloved Rausten as well! And actually, I'm quite well known with the powers-that-be here in Port Kiris. So I ordered them to ready the finest passenger vessel for me. But both merchants and passenger ships alike are too frightened to set sail. It seems a giant ghost ship has been sinking every ship it finds… Would that I could confront it, I could stop its foul villainy in a moment. Alas. It's such a shame." The woman explained.

"That is quite troublesome…" Eirika said, trying to not let the panic show on her face lest she give herself away.

"Yes, but fear not! The overland route is still available, and that will only strengthen your resolve! Oh, how lovely does it sound? I myself have been blessed with a great path before me, and I will not fail! I understand my path, O unknowable forces of providence! I, L'Arachel, shall not falter! Come Dolza, Rennac. We must leave with all due haste!"

Dolza wandered after L'Arachel with a hearty laughter, but Rennac held back a bit.

"Help me...Please!" He pleaded, only to be dragged away by Dolza.

Once the group was well out of sight, Eirika turned to Seth. "Um. Seth? Rausten's the other way. Aren't they heading towards Frelia?"

Seth turned to Eirika, then their retreating forms, and then back to Eirika again. "It's nothing we need to concern ourselves with Erina. For now, we must find a way to continue onward… The overland route would take far too long. We must find another way."

Eirika was about to agree when a strange-looking man came up to the group.

"You're princess Eirika of Renais, aren't you?" The man asked.

"Dastard! Away with you!" Seth said, getting between him and Eirika.

The man chuckled. "Oh don't worry. In a few moments, you'll never see me again. Nothing personal, but I need the gold that your bounties will bring in."

As soon as he finished his words, Eirika did a quick scan of the surrounding crowd, and noticed that a majority of the people surrounding them were brandishing weapons and looking in the direction of their group.

"Seth… We're surrounded." Eirika warned. Seth swiveled his head around and cursed loudly. He noticed a smaller group of mercenaries behind them though, and figured that would be a good way to get out of their situation.

"Everyone on me!" He shouted, rushing with his horse towards the thin group of enemies.

Immediately following his orders, the others rushed towards the fighters that Seth had engaged. Caught by surprise, many of them were cut down before they even had the chance to draw their weapons. Once the group was no longer surrounded, they ran away from the group of mercenaries and through the panicking crowd of people. Soon, Seth found a more defensible position with a choke point, and ordered everyone to defend it.

As the fight progressed, Seth noticed that the mercenaries were even more numerous than he had initially expected. They had to constantly switch out their front lines, as their fighters would constantly get injuries. Luckily they had both Moulder and Natasha there to heal them, or else they would have not been able to last as long as they could have.

However, a cry from the back alerted Seth. Someway, somehow, a small group of mercenaries had managed to creep up behind them. Joshua was standing over Moulder, who was bleeding from his thigh. Joshua himself had been called back because he was heavily injured, but it seemed as if he had been attacked before he had been healed. Panicking, Seth started charging towards Joshua, but it was far too late. The red-haired myrmidon managed to block two strikes, but a third sword came down in an overhead strike from behind him.

"Predictable!" A woman's voice shouted.

A blast of wind sliced the offending mercenary clean in two, and a brown-haired woman in blue robes similar to Mark's rushed towards Joshua's position. She quickly grabbed Joshua and dragged him backwards, firing blasts of wind as they retreated. Seth took the opportunity to rush the small group of mercenaries, making quick work of them. Natasha came forwards to heal Moulder, and Eirika came over to see that everyone was fine. Seeing that that was the case, she turned her attention to their new friend.

"Thank you for saving our friend. My name is Eirika. May I know yours?" Eirika asked.

The woman gave a bright smile. "Of course! My name is Katarina. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, your highness."

Eirika raised an eyebrow. "You know who I am?" She asked.

"Of course! I make it a habit to learn the rulers of the places where I visit."

"You're visiting? Does that mean you know a ship we could use?" Eirika asked.

Katarina shook her head. "Sadly no. My ship was actually sunk by some strange ship. Apparently it's a 'ghost ship', and no one's leaving port because of it."

Eirika frowned in disappointment. "I see. Would you join us? We are in desperate need of assistance."

Katarina pondered this. "I'll at least help you out here. I've got a few questions for you afterwards, but I'm more than willing to help you here. I'm a tactician by trade, but if you've already got one, I'm pretty good at magic."

Eirika perked up. "That's… Perfect, actually. Our tactician recently left, and we're trying to find him. Please, if you can give us advice, it would be appreciated."

Katarina nodded, and her gaze quickly scanned the rest of their group. Seth had joined the front lines again, and Moulder was currently back up and healing Joshua. Katarina snapped her fingers.

"I've got it. These mercenaries are far too organized to not have a leader, who's probably pretty close by. If we get our fliers to drop off a few of our own, we could take out their organization pretty quickly. I'd guess that they're across the water, so we should drop them off there."

Eirika looked concerned. "But wouldn't that leave them surrounded by enemies?"

The tactician shook her head. "No. We'd leave our fliers close by, and they'd pick up our soldiers before they get overwhelmed. I'll go on this mission myself, so that I can more easily identify their leader."

"Good. I'm coming with you." Eirika said.

Surprisingly, Katarina only nodded in affirmation. She turned to Moulder. "Tell the paladin over there that they should press forwards as soon as we've been dropped off. Their numbers will be more focused on us momentarily, and that'll give us an advantage for a few moments." Moulder nodded in response.

As they approached Tana and Vanessa, Katarina asked Eirika what seemed like a million questions about her fighting style. When Eirika told Katarina that she was actually quite good against lance users, Katarina's eyes widened in surprise momentarily. It was brief, but it was enough that Eirika saw it.

The two hopped onto the pegasi, and were quickly dropped off next to a clearing, where a small group of Grado soldiers were waiting. Katarina shot a small thunder spell towards one, and Eirika impaled another as she dropped off the pegasus. The two stood back-to back, and managed to make quick work of the remaining soldiers. Katarina quickly scanned her surroundings, and noticed an important-looking soldier at the end of the docks. His attention wasn't focused on Eirika or Katarina, but the scrimmage that they had come from. Katarina pointed towards the man, and the two charged towards him. There were soldiers in the way, but they were either knocked off the docks by Katarina's magic or pierced by Eirika's rapier.

They very clearly had the attention of the enemy officer, and Eirika was the one who engaged him. Katarina was busying herself with holding off the others. Eirika and the officer eyed each other for a moment, before he charged at the princess with his lance. However, Eirika's movements quickly became a blur, and before the enemy officer knew it, she was a mere foot away from him. He recoiled so far back that he almost fell, just barely avoiding Eirika's sword through his heart. However, Eirika continued her momentum, slashing at the officer's hand, hitting the small area between his gauntlet and his arm guards, forcing him to drop his lance from sheer pain. Now that her opponent was unarmed, Eirika spun on the ball of her foot and slashed his neck open. Turning back, she saw Katarina, who had managed to finish off a few more soldiers, blink her eye in surprise.

"Wow. That was… Certainly impressive your highness." Katarina admitted.

Eirika gave her a quick smile, but noticed that they were about to be overwhelmed, and signaled their fliers to quickly pick them up. Now that they were up in the air, they noticed that the Grado soldiers, who made up a good half of the enemy forces, was retreating. Seth was cleaning up the other enemy forces on the ground below. Eirika also noticed a new addition to their forces, which was some girl in blonde hair. The weird thing was that the girl was wearing armor of a soldier of Grado, and appeared to be staying very close to Franz.

The enemy was soon routed, and Seth was interrogating one of the surviving members. Eirika took this as an opportunity to find out about their two new members.

"Sir Franz. Who is this woman? Is she helping us?" Eirika asked.

"Yes your highness. This is Amelia of Silva. She had been told by Grado that you were a cruel and merciless person, and was fighting us because of that. I don't believe that is the case anymore though; she fought on our side just now." Franz replied.

"Y-yes… Sir Franz told me about what Grado's really been doing… I want to join your cause, your highness… That is, if y-you'll have me…" Amelia said.

"Of course! You're more than welcome to join us. We need all the help that we can get, and maybe you might even be able to convince some of your fellow countrymen to lay down their arms." Eirika replied with a smile.

Amelia's eyes widened in response, and Franz gave the soldier a grin that seemed to scream 'told you so'. The two the walked off, as Franz had to get her introduced to everyone and set up.

Eirika then turned to their other new friend. It sounded like Katarina might not be staying with them for the rest of their journey, but Eirika knew that they'd need all the help that they could get, especially since Mark had just left. She approached the tactician.

"Now that we're not busy, could I ask you again to join us? We are trying to protect the sacred stones, and Grado is trying to destroy them." Eirika said, summarizing their cause.

Katarina scratched her head. "Sorry your highness, but I'm a little busy. I'm trying to find my brother."

"Well, do you have any leads of where he might be?" Eirika asked.

Katarina shook her head. "No, but I know that he's on this continent, and he's been here for a while. When I last saw him, I… Wasn't in a good way. I said some things that I've regretted since then, and I'm trying to apologize and bring him home."

That sounded familiar to Eirika, but she couldn't quite place from where. Before she could voice that though, someone interrupted her.

"Your brother… Would his middle name happen to be Mark?" Joshua asked.

Katarina's eyes widened in surprise. "Yes! Have you seen him anywhere?!"

Eirika's surprise mirrored Katarina's, but Joshua seemed to be expecting this. "Yeah. He was our tactician for a few months, but a few days back he disappeared and we don't know where he went."

Katarina didn't see disheartened by this information. "Do you have anything of his? I can use it to track him!"

Eirika finally recovered. "Yes, he gave me a cloak of his."

Katarina's eyebrows raised at this information. "A cloak? What color is it?"

"Green. Why?"

"No reason. But yes, that should work. I'll-" Katarina's words were interrupted by Seth running over.

"Milady! The mercenary informed me that Carcino has betrayed us!" Seth announced.

"What?! But Innes was… He just marched into enemy territory!" Eirika exclaimed in realization.

Seth nodded. "We must follow him. We do not know how much danger he could be in. We must hurry with all due haste: the prince had the smallest escort of all the groups."

"I'll come with you. It'll take me a while to perform the spell to find my brother, and I can help you in the meantime." Katarina said.

Seth eyed Katarina suspiciously. "And who might you be?" He asked.

Eirika butted in before Seth got even more suspicious. "Seth, this is Katarina. She's apparently Mark's sister, and she's looking for him."

Seth recoiled in surprise. "Truly? You're Mark's sister?" When Katarina nodded. "Then it is a pleasure to meet you milady. I know that you'll be extremely beneficial to our cause."

Eirika cocked her head in confusion. Seth was one of the people that had doubted Mark the most, and yet when introduced to his sister who had managed to join out of the blue, he welcomed her with open arms.

"Thank you Sir Seth. I have just a few things to grab, but I'll be sure to catch up to you all in a few moments if you need to go on ahead." Katarina said, walking off towards where she had been the previous night.

Seth wandered off to go gather the rest of the group, and Eirika was left alone to her confusion. Today had been strange for her, but with Mark's sister joining their group, she felt like she could finally get some answers about Mark. And with Katarina's tracking spell… Well, maybe they'd be able to reunite with their wayward tactician.

Mark sighed. His journey had taken longer than he had thought, and he had gotten lost multiple times. He finally found himself in southern Carcino, but there was apparently some kind of battle raging in the valley below. Normally, he would just ignore it, but then he saw who exactly it was that was fighting. He saw the crown prince of Frelia, Innes, struggling with barely ten men against hundreds. Mark weighed his options. He had finally run out of warp powder, but he knew that, without any kind of help, Innes was only going to last for another few hours.

Sighing, Mark headed towards Innes' forces. Innes saw Mark approaching and raised his bow at the tactician, who made a placating gesture with his hands.

"Look, I'm not here to hurt you, and you obviously need help. If you don't trust me, that's fine, but I want to help." He said.

Innes grit his teeth and aimed his bow back at the enemy army.

"Very well. But if you stab us in the back, you'll wish I had shot you instead." He said, letting loose an arrow and piercing a mercenary in the neck.

"First thing's first, I saw a fortification a little ways into the mountains, and it looked really defendable. If we fall back there, we'll hold out much better." Mark suggested.

Innes nodded. "Agreed. If there is a fort back there, we can take the time to lick our wounds. We'll follow you." He turned to the remainder of his forces. "Soldiers of Frelia! We are falling back!" Innes shouted.

In response, all the Frelian soldiers turned around and followed Innes and Mark towards the mountains where Mark had found the defendable position.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Merry Christmas everyone! Here's my present to you all!**

 **Now, I've been looking forwards to introducing Mark's sister for a while. I don't think she'll get too much dialogue, but she's an important part of the plot.**

 **Speaking of dialogue, which characters would you like to see get more screen time? I've been focusing almost completely on Eirika and Mark so far, and if there's anyone else you want to have a more prominent role, please let me know.**

 **Look forwards to the next chapter… I know I am.**


	12. Revolt at Carcino

Eirika's company marched further into Carcino, determined to save Prince Innes from the trap that he likely found himself in. Their new tactician, Katarina, had been busy getting herself familiar with those under her command. She proved extremely easy to get along with, to no one's surprise. After all, she was Mark's sister, and Mark had been fairly popular among the other soldiers.

Eirika seemed to be the last person that Katarina was visiting, so Eirika spent some time talking to Tana and Joshua. She wanted to know about their new recruit, and she especially wanted to know what her friends thought.

"She's really nice." Tana said. "She makes you feel like you can tell her anything, like she's your own family."

Joshua hummed his agreement. "Even when she's mad at you. When she found out about my gambling it felt like my own mother was there, nagging and guilting me about my bad habits." He paused, thinking about what he just said. "Really makes me wonder what Mark could have done for her to disown him."

Tana's eyes opened wide with surprise. "What?! When did this happen?!" Tana exclaimed.

Eirika glared at Joshua, who looked away sheepishly. She turned back to her friend. "Mark told us that, just before he left for Magvel, he did something that made his sister mad. He said that Katarina said awful, awful things to him."

Tana thought about it, before shaking her head. "I don't know. He'd have had to do some pretty awful things for Katarina to be mad at him."

Eirika frowned. Mark didn't seem like a bad person… Could it have all been an act?

No. Mark's not like that. He's had no reason to deceive me, and plenty of chances to abuse the trust I've given him. Something's not adding up with this story, and I intend to find out what. Eirika thought to herself.

Her thoughts were interrupted however, when she saw Katarina moving back in their marching order towards Eirika.

"Hello Princess Eirika. I was wondering if I could have a word?" Katarina asked.

Eirika nodded, and turned to her friends. "Would you two mind giving us some privacy for a minute? There's some things that I'd like to ask Katarina." They nodded in return, and marched forwards out of earshot.

"Before you ask your questions princess, I'd like to ask you a few." Katarina started.

"Of course. Please, feel free to ask me anything." Eirika replied.

"Your fighting style… Who taught you it? It's very rare for a sword fighter to be efficient against a lance user."

"My brother taught me the basics, but it was actually Mark that taught me that skill." Eirika said.

Katarina raised an eyebrow. "Really? That's...Interesting." The tactician mused. "From the way you talk, it seemed that you were close."

Eirika nodded affirmatively. "Yes. He and I have been friends for some time, and I like to think that we've helped each other through some personal issues."

"'Like to think'? So you don't know if he helped you?"

Eirika paused. "Well… I know that he helped me. He helped me get rid of my nightmares, and when I felt inadequate compared to my family, he helped me get over it… But he kept so many secrets that I couldn't help him, and instead of telling me, he just left!" She exclaimed.

Katarina grimaced. "Princess… I doubt that it's your fault. Some awful, awful things have happened to my brother in the past, and he probably has a hard time letting people get close to him as a result." Eirika sighed and nodded.

"I just have one more question for you, and then feel free to ask me whatever you want." Katarina said. When Eirika said nothing in response, Katarina continued. "Why was my brother your tactician?"

"What do you mean?" Eirika asked in confusion. "He was my father's tactician, so when my father died, he became mine."

Katarina shook her head. "No, I understand that. It's just that my brother was far more capable a warrior than he was a tactician, so it's confusing to me that your father didn't hire him as a mercenary or a knight."

Eirika bit her lip in thought. "Well… He did save me from a horde of monsters once… But back in the beginning, when we were forced to have him on the front lines, he held back and always knocked out our enemies rather than kill them. When I asked him why, he responded that he 'didn't kill people'. He never offered any more explanation."

Katarina rubbed her chin. "Interesting… That's… Very unusual." Katarina mused. She thought in silence for a few moments before shaking her head. "Never mind. I'll ask him when I see him. Do you have any questions about me your highness?"

Eirika nodded. "Just a few. I'll start with the big one though. Mark gave me a very vague summary of his and your adventures, and told me that, at the end, you said some very hurtful things towards him…" Katarina flinched at Eirika's words. "I would just like to know, since you seem like a very kind person, what Mark did to warrant your harsh words."

Katarina was silent for a few moments, and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. "Nothing." She said, causing Eirika to raise an eyebrow.

"'Nothing'? Please forgive me if I don't believe you." Eirika replied.

Katarina shook her head. "No, that's just it. He didn't do anything to warrant my words. I overreacted to him, and because of that, my brother…" She sniffed. "That's why I'm here. I need to apologize. I didn't learn until well after he left that he was innocent, and I need to make things right."

Eirika nodded. That made a certain amount of sense, but she was getting frustrated that both Mark and his sister were being as vague as possible with their pasts.

"Alright. Just one more question, and then I think we should start getting ready for battle." Katarina nodded, wiping a few tears off of her face. "When my brother found out about Mark's past as the 'Warmaster', he said that the Warmaster was supposed to be dead. What I would like to know is if Mark truly is this 'Warmaster' that everyone is talking about, and if so, did he really die?"

Katarina's face went expressionless. Since the start of Eirika's questions, she had been reliving one of the worst memories of her life. She could still remember it clearly after all these years… She was lying on the ground, dying, surrounded by her friends who couldn't believe what they were seeing, when she heard the sound of someone screaming in sorrow. Turning her head, she saw where her brother once lay, but now there weren't even ashes to remember him by. A woman was sobbing uncontrollably into the chest of a white-haired youth, who wrapped his arms around her protectively.

Suddenly her memories were interrupted by Eirika. "Katarina? Are you okay?"

Katarina gave a small smile. "Yes, sorry just… Revisiting some unpleasant memories." She sighed. "In answer to your question, yes. To both. My brother is more commonly known as the 'Warmaster', but I wouldn't believe everything about him you hear. Some of his worst allies used his name as a scapegoat, blaming him for things that he had no way of controlling, and that tends to taint a name."

Eirika nodded in response, but one thing still bothered her. "I know that you said Mark died… But how is he still here?"

Katarina shook her head with a sigh. "I'm not sure. It makes no sense… I saw my brother die before my very eyes, but now he's alive. I have some theories, but all of them seem pretty far-fetched." She paused. "Then again, I've seen some far-fetched things in my time…" She muttered.

Eirika nodded. She was satisfied with Katarina's answers… For now. She trusted the woman, but she wanted more information on Mark's past, and it was starting to frustrate her that she couldn't get anything.

"Thank you Katarina. I think that helps me understand the two of you a little bit more. It's definitely more than Mark ever told me…" Eirika said with a forced smile.

Katarina shook her head. "I'm sure my brother wanted to tell you your highness, but he's scared of what will happen if he told you anything. Unfortunately, I can't tell you anything that my brother hasn't, because I would never betray his trust like that."

Eirika sighed. That was certainly understandable. "Alright. I'll let him tell me on his own terms… When we find him. For now though, we must press on to Prince Innes."

* * *

Near the capital of Grado, a lone wyvern rider looked towards the direction of Carcino and sighed. He was Glen, the sunstone, but the newest order from his emperor had given him was why he was currently questioning his loyalty. Hearing the familiar beating of wings, Glen turned to his right, to see his brother Cormag approaching.

"Hello there brother. How are you?" Glen asked.

Cormag shook his head in exasperation. "I should be asking you that. You've had a grave look on your face all day brother. What is the matter?"

"It is nothing brother, I am fine."

"To hell you are! Look, I've known you my entire life, so don't try to lie to me. I can tell." Cormag replied.

Glen stared his brothers in the eyes for a few moments, realizing that arguing was pointless. "You're right Cormag. His majesty's most recent orders weigh heavily on my heart. I've been ordered to kill Princess Eirika of Renais. Vigarde told me that she slaughtered countless innocents while invading Carcino."

Cormag cocked his head in confusion. "I don't understand brother. If she did such a thing, why are you so against killing her?"

"Because I met the princess once, long ago. She was one of the kindest, most sincere people that I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, and I can't imagine her killing innocents…"

"I'm sensing a 'but' coming up here…" Cormag commented.

"But the emperor has never lied to me in all the time that I've served him. I can't tell which is more unbelievable… That Eirika has changed, or that Vigarde is no longer the kind and caring emperor that I once served."

Cormag was about to respond when the beat of wyvern wings caught both of the brother's attention.

"Well hello there Glen. What are you doing here? I could have sworn that you were supposed to head out after Eirika today." Valter said, landing his wyvern next to the two. "Typical. You get the fun job of going after the lovely Eirika while I must content myself with her fool brother and you still aren't doing your job!"

Cormag growled at Valter, but Glen raised an arm to silence his brother.

"Peace Cormag. Valter, my men are still getting ready, and will not be able to move out for another hour or so. I'm simply saying goodbye to my brother before we leave. I would appreciate some privacy. After all, we are both servants of the emperor." Glen said, doing his absolute best to keep his anger to a minimum.

"Hmm. Just remember, 'sunstone': I was recruited because you and the other generals were too inept to do the basic jobs of our emperor. If you find yourself unable to do your orders… I will simply have to fulfill them in your place." Valter said, a wicked grin on his face as he flew away.

When Glen was sure that Valter was out of earshot, he turned to his brother. "I must depart soon brother. Please stay safe and defend the capital."

"Yes Glen. I'll make sure to keep the people safe."

Glen nodded. "Good. One more thing." He said, gripping Cormag's shoulders. "I don't trust Valter. He's smarter than he'd have us think, and since I'm one of his least favorite people, I fully expect him to make a move against me soon. Please brother, watch out for him. Be careful with what you believe, and never trust him."

"I promise brother." Cormag replied.

With that, the two brothers hugged, and Glen flew off towards Carcino. Determined to figure out just what was going on once and for all.

* * *

Meanwhile, Mark was currently looking through the basement of the fort that he found himself in, desperately looking for anything that he could use. Following him was a dancer of some description. Honestly, if Mark hadn't been good friends with a different dancer, he would have questioned Innes choice of mercenaries. As it was, she was proving helpful in looking through their storehouses.

"Well, it looks like we've got enough food to last us for a day or so… But with no spare weapons, I don't know if we'll last that long…" The dancer, Tethys, commented.

"Hmm…" Mark mused. "Something about the food here's… Off."

"What do you mean?"

"Well, think about what we've run across for food. It's mostly been just vegetables and grains, right?" Tethys nodded in response. "But this is a military fort, and those tend to have meat, since that's better for military rations… Let's go back to the food storeroom. I've got an idea."

The two of them walked back towards the storeroom. "Okay, but couldn't it all have been eaten?" Tethys asked.

Mark shook his head. "Unlikely. If they had a diet that unbalanced, it would have severely limited their combat capabilities. No, what's more likely…" Mark said, stomping on the stone flooring a few times, before his foot made a distinctly different sound. Getting on his knees, Mark rubbed his hand across the part of the stone floor that he had just stepped on, and found a hidden trap door. "Is that they hunted for their meat."

Tethys looked inside of the secret compartment, and felt a newfound hope when she saw what it held. Bear traps, tripwire, and even a spare hunting bow with a mostly-full quiver were underneath.

Mark nodded in satisfaction. "Go tell the prince what we've found. Take the bow and arrows with you; I'll take the traps."

Tethys nodded, and sprinted up to the tower where Innes and her boss, Gerik, were keeping lookout.

"I've got some good news." She said, shaking the two men out of their thoughts. "Mark managed to find a spare bow and a few hunting traps. I think he's setting them up by the front gate to slow them down."

Innes raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Well… At least there's that, but we have some problems now."

"Oh?" Tethys asked.

Gerik sighed. "It looks like Carcino's on the move. They're not satisfied with sending in small groups anymore, so they're sending everything they've got at us. The rest of our men are too injured to keep fighting, and you and Mark can't fight, so it'll be just Innes and I holding off the rest of them.

"I don't get why you didn't simply run away when I fired you, but it's far too late for that now. You can't run with the injured that you have, so I suppose we'll just see how long we last." Innes said, resigning himself to their fate.

"Well, while that was a fine performance that you put on prince, I'm afraid that I'm a bit more loyal to my employers than the average mercenary." Gerik said with a smile, causing Innes to simply shake his head in exasperation.

Mark walked up to the tower at that moment. "Well, what few traps we have are in place. It should be enough to slow them down, or at least force them to pay more attention to where they're stepping." He informed them.

"As much as it pains me to say it… Thank you Mark. I still wish you would fight by us, but if you hadn't been here, we would have lost even more people." Innes said reluctantly.

Mark shook his head. "Don't thank me just yet. I'm going to have to leave before the battle starts. If I die here, some pretty bad things are going to happen. I'm sorry, but I have to leave."

Innes nodded. Mark had explained a few things to the Frelian Prince over the last few hours, and that had been enough for the Frelian Prince to have some degree of sympathy towards the tactician.

"Very well. For all our sakes, I hope that you find the help that you need." Innes said, walking off towards the parapets where he would be fighting from.

Gerik put a hand out, and Mark took it. Gerik gave it a tight squeeze and shook. "If you hadn't shown up when you did, we would have lost a lot more men then we did. If I ever see you again, I'll be sure to buy you a drink." He promised, patting Mark on the shoulder and heading back down.

Tethys was about to say something when she spotted something in the distance. "Mark? What's that?" She asked, and even though she already had a good idea, she didn't want to get her hopes up.

Mark squinted his eyes. It looked like movement on the horizon. It either meant enemy reinforcements or… Mark realized who it was upon seeing two pegasus knights flying in their direction, and Mark recognized both of them.

"It's Eirika. She's come to help you. I have to go now. Tell Innes that he only has to hold out a little while longer." Mark said, taking out his last batch of warp powder.

"Alright, just… Be safe okay?" Tethys said. "I don't get why you can't stay with us, but it's more dangerous out there than in here."

"I know, but I have to keep moving. If I stay with Innes and Eirika, something really, really bad is going to happen. I have to find a way to prevent that from happening." He looked towards the pegasus knights, who were getting closer and closer. "I have to go. I'll see if I can help from out there." He said, before disappearing in a flash of light. Tethys ran down the stairs to go tell Innes and Gerik the good news.

Mark had managed to teleport himself fairly far away. He was in the middle of the forest, which helped conceal the bright flash of light when he appeared. Looking around, he saw that the mountains, and the fort, were behind him and to his right. He needed to go to his left if he wanted to get to Caer Pelyn. However, upon approaching the clearing, he saw three mercenaries standing in the clearing. He sighed. He had no way to get around them without getting detected, so he'd have to knock them out in order to get through. He got out the tome of light that Artur had given him, and created a blinding light in front of the group. While they stumbled around, Mark rushed forwards and swiftly dealt with the back two, knocking them unconscious with the hilt of his sword. However, the third mercenary, a pink-haired woman, recovered quickly, and Mark barely managed to block her strike.

For what felt like hours, the two stared each other down before unlocking blades. Mark had no idea how this woman fought, so he tried to give away as little as possible about his own fighting style. When the woman seemed to be finished studying him, she leapt at Mark, as fast as a strike of lightning. Her blows hit fast, though without much strength behind them. Mark identified them as blows used to test his defenses, to see how he blocked. It told him all he needed to know: this woman was no ordinary mercenary, and it was possible that he could lose to her. His mind went into overdrive to desperately try to find something, anything at all to use against this swordwoman, but he was struggling to find a weakness that he could exploit with what he had.

Then he saw it. The subtle shift in her step that he'd seen Joshua perform countless times, and Mark raised his blade before the mercenary even moved. With terrifying speed, the woman struck several blows, most of which Mark managed to block, but some left gashes along his arms and shoulders.

This gave Mark hope. He had a theory. It was a bit of a long shot, but if it worked…

"Joshua. Do you know him?" Mark asked, gritting his teeth while desperately blocking the woman's strikes.

She paused. "I may." She replied simply.

"Red haired, wears a black hat, comes from somewhere in Jehanna?" Mark continued, realizing that his crazy gamble may have paid off.

The woman tensed. "How do you know him?" Before Mark could answer, the woman's sword was at his throat. In a moment of trust, Mark had lowered his guard. "And do not lie to me."

"There's a group to the north of here. They should be reinforcing the small group in the castle. I used to be a part of that group, and to the best of my knowledge, Joshua still is. Your fighting style is very similar, so I figured you might have been taught by the same teachers."

The woman contemplated this. "Why did you not just kill me?"

"Didn't want to risk it. You're pretty good, I could have lost." Mark answered.

"No. You were not fighting me fully. Why?"

"Can't." Mark answered, clearly not wanting to get into the subject.

The woman regarded him for a few moments before sheathing her sword. "Very well. I will be joining them shortly. Are you coming?"

Mark shook his head. "No, I have to go somewhere else. I wish you luck. Although, if you know Joshua, I'm sure you're used to trouble." He said, giving the mercenary a grin, who simply stared at him blankly in response. The two walked off in separate directions. The mercenary towards the fortress and Mark towards the faraway mountains.

* * *

Meanwhile, Eirika's group was fighting their way through the Carcino mercenaries. Apparently, Katarina had a plan to end this quickly and reunite with Prince Innes, but hadn't told anyone the details, other than "Wait here and hold them off." Before the tactician flew with Tana and Neimi towards the mountains.

Joshua was currently holding part of their line with Eirika. The two complemented each other's fighting style quite nicely, though they both relied on speed, which resulted in a few awkward engagements with some of the heavily armored enemies. They had a momentary pause before two more enemies started coming in their general direction.

"Joshua, I'll handle the mercenary if you handle the myrmidon." Eirika suggested, but Joshua wasn't paying attention. His eyes were on the myrmidon who, unlike the mercenary next to her, was not charging towards them, but walking slowly. Her intense gaze never left Joshua, and it didn't take him long to realize why.

It was Marisa.

When Eirika turned around, she noticed that Joshua was no longer there, and noticed that he was running away as fast as possible. Eirika was about to call out to him when the mercenary started attacking her. Bracing herself for an upcoming two-on-one battle, Eirika nimbly sidestepped the attack. The mercenary was now between the pink-haired myrmidon and herself, preventing Eirika from being double teamed.

What she did not expect however, was for the myrmidon to stab the mercenary in the back and continue running in the direction of Joshua, not even sparing Eirika a glance.

Blinking away her astonishment, Eirika mentally shrugged. Joshua was strong, and Eirika had faith that her friend could handle one maybe-enemy.

Joshua however, did not share Eirika's faith. He was running for his life from Marisa, but she was gaining. He was about to look back to see how close she was before he felt a force hit him from behind, and he was sent rolling to the ground. When he stopped, he noticed that he was flat on his back and Marisa was above him, with a knife pressed to his throat. For a long time, the two stared at each other. If it had been anyone else, they would have been unable to detect any emotions on Marisa's face, but Joshua could see that she was going through a lot of emotions. Most of them some variation of hurt and angry, but still.

"Um…. Hi?" Joshua said tentatively.

Marisa's glare somehow became more deadly, giving Joshua a chill. "...That's it? 'Hi?'"

Joshua sighed. "What else do you want to say, Marisa?"

Marisa grit her teeth in frustration. "How about 'sorry'?! You've been gone for YEARS!" Marisa exclaimed.

Joshua's eyes widened. Marisa never let her emotions get the better of her.

"Marisa…" He sighed. "I know it must have hurt when I left, but I couldn't stay any longer… I've never been a good choice to rule, and your father hated me to the point where I wasn't learning anything from him anymore."

Marisa stayed silent, so Joshua continued. "I needed to see the world for myself, outside the castle. Every year I've thought about coming back, but… I couldn't bring myself to see what damage I caused."

Joshua closed his eyes, readying himself for a blow. What he did not expect was for Marisa to suddenly drop her sword and embrace him. He instinctively wrapped his arms around the normally cold-hearted swordwoman, genuine confusion evident on his face.

The both of them sat up, and Joshua saw that she wiped a single tear off of her face. "Nothing was the same." Marisa finally said. "After you left. My father… Got worse. Your mother was distraught, and he wanted to comfort her." She took a deep breath. "He trained me less and less. I barely saw him anymore. I left soon after, but I don't think he noticed."

Joshua winced. He knew that Marisa's father had always been harsh on her, but to completely ignore his daughter? That was a new low, even for him. "Marisa… I'm sorry. If I can do anything, anything at all, I will."

Marisa regarded him for a moment. "Will you return to Jehanna?"

Joshua sighed. "I would if I could, but I promised these people that I'd help them. If I don't help them, there might not be a Jehanna left for me to return to."

Marisa closed her eyes in contemplation. "Very well. I will accompany you."

"You don't have to-" Joshua started.

"No. I have been looking for you for too long for you to die now. I will ensure that you don't." Marisa's tone of voice implied that she would not accept any arguments.

Joshua sighed in defeat. "Alright. Let's get back to the front line. I'm sure that they'll appreciate having the two of us."

Marisa nodded, and the two of them went back towards the rest of the group. Eirika noticed them approaching and waved them over.

"Joshua, glad you could come back. And I assume your friend is a new ally?" Eirika asked.

Joshua nodded. "She's an old friend of mine."

"I'll be sure to get the details later, but we have to go reinforce Katarina. She's got hold of one of the enemy ballista and it's destroying their morale." Eirika said.

"Alright, let's go!" Joshua said, and the three of them took off.

* * *

Innes was standing inside of the fortress, having a clear shot through the gate that had been forced open. Gerik was standing by his side, and Tethys was standing a ways back, helping heal the injured soldiers.

Mark's traps were doing their job well. Most of the soldiers that didn't immediately get stuck on a trap were forced to look down at their feet, slowing their advance and giving Innes a better shot. When a straggler got through, Gerik would defend Innes. However, most of the traps had already been triggered, so the two were being forced back farther and farther, testing Innes' ability to shoot at range.

Hurry up Eirika… Innes thought, sending another arrow through the skull of a mercenary.

They had noticed the point when Eirika's forces engaged the enemy, because there seemed to be even less soldiers pouring through the gate. Now however, something else must have happened, because there were even less coming through.

As if to answer his curiosity, what appeared to be a ballista bolt landed just outside of the open gate, impaling a mercenary and impacting with enough force to send dirt and rubble flying in all directions. There was a pause in the mercenary forces, but even when Innes had cleared out the inside of the fortress, he kept his bow aimed at the main gate.

"Innes? Are you in there? It's me, Eirika!" He heard. "I'm coming through, don't shoot!"

Innes said nothing in response, fearing a trap. However, when he saw Eirika coming through, walking over the corpses of the mercenaries that he killed. She was accompanied by two myrmidon soldiers, the one that he recognized as Joshua as well as a pink-haired woman.

"Marisa? What are you doing here?" Gerik asked, obviously recognizing the woman.

"I was hired by Carcino." Marisa replied.

"Huh. Really? I thought the guild usually made sure stuff like that didn't happen."

Marisa shrugged in response.

"Regardless, she's on our side now." Eirika interrupted. "Are your soldiers well Innes?"

The prince shook his head. "No. They're too injured to continue on as they are. We'll need to either find a safe place for them to rest or send them back to Frelia. Has the enemy been routed?"

"No. They're holed up in the nearby city. Apparently their leader is there as well, so that's where our tactician wants to hit next."

"Oh? Did you find Mark again?" Innes asked curiously.

Eirika shook her head. "No. His sister showed up looking for him. We asked her to join us as our tactician, and she accepted."

Innes raised an eyebrow. "Really? His sister? Well, I think our odds just got better."

"I guess I'm gonna owe Mark a drink or two. I didn't think his traps would work as well as they did." Gerik said with a smile.

Eirika's eyes widened. "Mark was here?"

Innes nodded. "Yes. He came out of nowhere and ordered us to retreat here. We held out long enough to set up some traps, and the moment we saw that you were coming, he left. I doubt he's gone very far though." The prince said.

Eirika froze. "I… Excuse me, I have to go tell this to Katarina." She said, taking off, the two myrmidons following after her.

As they ran, Marisa had a thought. "This Mark… What does he look like?"

"Huh?" Joshua asked. "Well, he's got black hair, a white shirt, and baggy pants. Why?"

"He's the one who told me where you were." Marisa said, causing Eirika to stop running.

"What? Where is he?" Eirika asked.

Marisa pointed in the direction of the southern mountains. "He was heading there." She said. "Whether or not he still is, I do not know."

Eirika nodded. "Alright, I'll see if Katarina can spare some people to help us search." Eirika said, continuing to run towards Katarina's position.

Joshua and Marisa were running just a little bit behind Eirika, when Marisa spoke up. "What makes this 'Mark' so special?" She asked.

"Well, if you asked Eirika, she would say that he's been her closest friend and a great help to our cause since the start." Joshua started. "But really, I think the princess may have a crush on him, she just doesn't realize it yet." He whispered.

Marisa nodded. "I can see why. He is obviously a great warrior."

Joshua raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And how did you find that out?"

"I fought him. He was good."

"What?! You fought him?" Joshua exclaimed, somehow not getting Eirika's attention.

"Yes."

"Marisa, you don't get it - No one in our entire group has seen Mark actually fight." Joshua explained. "What was it like? How does he fight?"

Marisa shook her head. "I wouldn't know. He said he couldn't fight at his best. He provided no explanation." Upon seeing a look of disappointment on Joshua's face, Marisa continued. "Before then, he was fighting very defensively. He was waiting to see my weakness… And he even managed to mostly block my father's move." She said.

Joshua's eyes widened. "Really?! That's impressive…" Joshua mused. The move that Marisa was referring to was difficult, though not impossible to block, for it involved a series of extremely fast strikes in rapid succession, almost invisible to the human eye. He knew that he could block it, having been trained by the man who created it, and he had a suspicion that Marisa could as well, but Mark was a different story.

His thoughts were interrupted by Eirika's voice as they came up to the ballista that Katarina was watching the battle from.

"Katarina!" She shouted, getting the tactician's attention. "We know where Mark is!"

"Really?!" She exclaimed. "Where?!"

"To the southern mountains! Can I take one of our pegasus knights to go and get him?" Eirika asked.

Katarina looked around, and saw that Tana was nearby and not doing anything. "Alright. We should have enough people to take the city. Just be careful." Katarina warned.

Eirika met up with her best friend and quickly mounted the pegasus. The two took to the air towards the southern mountains, where the enemy had already been cleared out. Finding Mark would be no easy task, but Eirika knew that they could find him, and she would make sure that they'd bring him back.

* * *

Meanwhile, the fighting in the city had only barely started, but under Katarina's command, the interior had been taken by storm. Having taken the ballista by surprise with a joint attack from Vanessa and Innes, the Carcino soldiers quickly found themselves being pelted by their own artillery.

Councilor Pablo could do nothing but stare as his plans crumbled before his very eyes. The mercenaries that he had hired were useless! Those pathetic fools from Renais of all places were making them look like weaklings! He grit his teeth in frustration. He'd have to make his escape quickly, or else he could get overwhelmed. Unfortunately, his ballista had been taken out, which limited his options.

Pablo smirked. No matter, he still had his warp powder. He had always prided himself with his greatest secret. It had been no mean feat to acquire as much of the substance as he had, but he had managed it. From what he had heard, he should be able to teleport well outside of the city walls, and from there it should be simple enough to evade the Renais fools until he was safely in Port Kiris.

When a pink-haired archer came within sight, Pablo reached for the hidden pouch, only to find, much to his surprise, that nothing was there.

"Looking for this?" A voice asked from behind him.

Turning around, Pablo saw a blue-haired man in a thief's outfit juggling three pouches. Pablo immediately recognized the other two as his spare coin pouches. However, just before he could make to take his pouches back, the councilor felt a searing pain through his back. He fell flat on his face, and moments later, everything went dark.

Colm shook his head. "That was almost too easy. Good job Neimi." He said, tossing her one of the sacs of gold. "What do you say to the idea of getting you something nice? I'm sure Eirika wouldn't mind." Colm suggested, to which Neimi only nodded in response, desperately trying not to show the blush on her face.

* * *

Meanwhile, Eirika had found Mark. He was hiking through a mountain pass, and he was too exposed to hide under anything. He swore. He had seen who was coming towards him, and he knew that there was no easy way out of this. He sat on a large rock and waited for them to arrive.

His worst fears were confirmed when Eirika hopped off of Tana's pegasus. She approached him slowly, and Mark saw that she was smiling.

"Mark! Thank goodness you're alright!" Eirika exclaimed, clearly happy to see her friend.

Mark sighed. He had really hoped that Eirika wouldn't be the one to come after him. Anyone else and he may have been able to get them to go away, but Eirika was different.

"Hi Eirika." He said flatly. "Why'd you follow me? Didn't I ask you not to?"

Eirika's smile faded. "Mark, you're my friend. I was worried about you, and I wanted to make sure that you were safe!"

"Well, now you know that I am. Now what? Are you going to force me to come back? Maybe knock me unconscious?" He asked, knowing that she probably wouldn't do either of those.

"What?! No!" Eirika shouted. "Mark, I just want to know what's wrong!" She said. "You left so suddenly, and no one knows why! You've helped me with so much, and I… I just want to help you like you helped me…" She trailed off.

Mark shook his head. "Eirika, there's nothing you can do. The reasons why I left… They're not things that can be fixed with just words."

"Well then tell me. Tell me how I can help!"

Dammit, Mark didn't want to be mean to Eirika, but it was the only thing that Mark could think of to get her to go away… "You can help by leaving me alone." He said, desperately trying to prevent any emotion from entering his voice.

Eirika took a step back in shock, hurt evident in her eyes, and tears threatening to fall. However, before she could say anything else, Tana spoke up.

"WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU?!" Tana screamed, reminding both of them that they weren't alone. "Ever since you've left, Eirika has done practically nothing but worry about you… And now that she's back, you're just pushing her away?!"

Mark flinched. "Look, there's-"

"No, you look! Eirika is my best friend, and she cares about you. Now I don't care if you don't think she can help, but you've known her for months now, and I think she deserves an explanation!" Tana shouted back.

Mark and Eirika were silent. Eirika was shocked that her friend had argued so fiercely for her, and Mark was carefully considering his options.

He sighed. "Alright. But I don't want just anyone to know. Eirika's the only one I trust with what I'm about to say." He explained.

Tana looked reluctant to leave, but Eirika nodded to her. "Go. It'll be okay." She said.

With a nod and a glare at Mark that threatened great pain if he hurt Eirika, Tana took off, leaving Eirika and Mark alone in the mountain pass.

Mark shook his head. "I'm sorry for what I said Eirika, but I really didn't want to tell you what I'm about to. The only way I could think of to get you to leave was to be mean to you."

"It's fine Mark. I know you didn't mean it. And don't-" Eirika started, before being interrupted by Mark.

"No. It doesn't matter what I am or am not comfortable with sharing anymore. Tana was right. I've been by your side for several months, and I promised you that I would go to you when I need help… So I'm going to tell you everything."

Eirika's eyes widened. "Everything?"

Mark nodded.

"Even your name?" She asked.

Mark chuckled. "Yes… I suppose that would be as good a place to start as any…"

He took a deep breath.

"My name… Is Robin, Warmaster of Ylisse. And it's well past the time that I told you the truth."

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **So… How many people hate me now? I've felt bad leading you guys on the entire time, but I wanted this to be a surprise.**

 **I know it's a bit of a cliffhanger, but if I included the stuff that's coming next chapter, I think this chapter would be too long. Plus I want to see just how many followers I'm going to lose from this.**

 **Also, I finally get to reveal that I change up Marisa's backstory a little bit. Most of you can probably guess what I did, but from what little we know of Marisa, I don't view this as too much of a stretch.**

 **Oh yeah, I also want to say thank you for the helpful reviews guys! It sounds like people want more of L'Arachel, so I'll see if I can fit her into the story. I originally wasn't going to includ her much, mostly because I didn't use her much when I played SS.**

 **Finally, to the reviewer that claimed Mark is a Gary Stu, I just want to say that I completely understand where you're coming from, and it's something that I've been worried about since I started. Hopefully next chapter will show you why Mark isn't a complete Gary Stu.**


	13. Interlude: Tale of the Warmaster

Robin woke up with a groan. He could hear voices coming from his left, but he didn't recognize them.

"Well, what do you propose we do?" A man's voice asked.

"Well… I dunno!" A high-pitched woman's voice replied.

He felt a shift of movement to his left, and he heard the two voices gasp a little.

"I see you're awake now." The man said.

"Hey there!"

"There are better places to take a nap then on the ground you know. Give me your hand"

Another shift of movement, and Robin opened his eyes to see a small group of people. A woman in a yellow dress with blonde pigtails, a strong-looking man with blue hair, and a familiar-looking woman with white hair.

"Milord, this one is waking up as well." Another voice said, drawing Robin's attention to the last person, a brown-haired man with heavy blue armor.

Robin groaned and stood up, clutching his head.

"Are you both okay?" The man asked.

"Y-yes…" The white-haired woman said. "Thank you Chrom."

Chrom? Is that his name? Robin thought to himself.

"Oh? You know who I am?" Chrom asked.

"Er… No. Your name, it just… Came to me." The woman said.

"Curious…" Chrom said, surprisingly sounding like he believed the woman's outlandish claim. "Tell me, what's your name? What are you doing out here?"

The woman scratched her head, and adopted a look of confusion. "I...I don't know!" She exclaimed. "I can't… I can't remember anything!" She was clearly panicking, and while Chrom looked surprised, he quickly placed a hand on the woman's shoulder to comfort her.

"Just calm down ma'am. We'll help you figure this out." Chrom said.

"Hey, I've heard of this! It's called amnesia!" The blonde woman said.

"Hm. It's called a load of pegasus dung. How are we to believe that you remember my lord's name, but not your own?" The armored man said.

"B-but-"

"Peace Frederick. For now, I'm willing to give her the benefit of the doubt. What about you?" Chrom said, facing Robin at last. "What's your name?"

Robin scratched his head. "I think it's… Robin. I think I've got what she has." He said, pointing his thumb at the other woman. "But… I think I remember a few things…" He mused.

"Oh?" Chrom asked. "Like what?"

"Well… I'm pretty sure she's my twin. That's about it." Robin explained.

Chrom nodded. "You do look very similar. Alright, until we figure out what you both were doing here, you both will come with us."

"Is that wise, milord? They are both very suspicious individuals… And their clothes are plegian in make." Frederick said.

"Plagia?" Robin asked. "Is that a place near here?"

Chrom nodded. "Yes, it is. Now please, follow us."

Robin looked at his sister, who looked back at him and nodded. They followed the small group in silence, but his sister eventually broke it.

"What are you going to do with us? Are we going to be your prisoners?" She asked.

Chrom shook his head. "No. Once we establish that neither of you are enemies of Ylisse, you'll be free to go."

Robin perked up. "Is that where we are? Ylisse?" He asked.

Frederick gave a bark of laughter. "You've never heard of the Halidom? Someone pay this actor, he plays quite the fool!"

Chrom rolled his eyes. "Frederick." He said, causing the man to shut up. "Yes, we're in the Halidom of Ylisse. We're ruled by a woman called Exalt Emmeryn. The country that we talked about earlier, Plegia, is our neighbor. My name is Chrom… Though your sister somehow seemed to know that already… And the delicate one here is my sister, Lissa."

The woman gave a giant frown at Chrom's words. "I am NOT delicate!" She shouted, eliciting laughter from Chrom. "Excuse my brother, he can be a bit dense sometimes. You both are lucky that the shepards found you. Bandits would have been a much ruder awakening!"

Robin's sister cocked her head in confusion. "What kind of sheep do you tend that warrant full armor?"

Lissa eyed her brother meaningfully, who looked away and coughed. "I TOLD you it was an awful name!" She shouted.

Chrom rubbed his head and chuckled nervously. "We're not actual shepherds really, we're more of a… Militia group."

Robin nodded his head, but his sister perked up. "I remember!" She exclaimed. "My name! I remembered it!"

An awkward silence filled the air before Robin broke it. "So… What is it?" He asked, slightly put off that he didn't know his own sister's name.

"Huh? Oh, right! It's Raven!" She said.

Another few moments of silence passed. "So… I guess your parents were fans of birds?" Lissa joked weakly.

Robin rubbed his face. "I guess so…" He mumbled.

"Milord! The town!" Frederick interrupted.

The group turned their attention towards where Frederick indicated, only to see plumes of smoke and burning buildings on the horizon.

"Damn it! It's those bandits we were told about! Frederick, Lissa, on me!" He said, taking off at a run.

"Milord, what about-"

"They're not on fire! They're not a priority!"

Frederick nodded, and pulled Lissa onto his horse, galloping after Chrom and leaving the twins behind.

"Did… Did we just get left behind?" Robin asked.

Raven slowly nodded. "Yeah… I think so…" She looked down at her waist. "Hey… This tome…" She said, indicating towards a yellow book on her waist. "I think it's a magic tome."

Robin looked at it and nodded agreement. He then looked down at his own waist and saw a purple tome along with a bronze sword.

"Hey! Why do you get a sword and I don't?!" Raven pouted.

Robin only grinned in response. He nodded his head towards the town. "Well… We could spend hours trying to figure that out OR we could go help our maybe-captors."

Raven wrinkled her nose in thought, but eventually nodded and ran towards the town, Robin trailing closely behind her. When they reached the edge of the town, Raven noticed a brigand approaching Lissa from behind, but it didn't seem like anyone else noticed. Using instincts that she didn't know she had, Raven quickly channeled her magic through her tome, producing a small ball of electricity, which struck the bandit in the back and knocked him unconscious.

Lissa turned around and saw a bandit flat on his face as well as the twins that they had just picked up. She smiled at Raven in thanks, who nodded.

"Hey, mind if we help?" Robin asked, catching Chrom and Frederick's attention.

"Robin? Raven? What are you two doing here?" Chrom asked.

"Well, we're armed, and if my sister's magic is anything to go by, we're capable. We'd like to help." Robin explained.

Chrom nodded. "Alright. Let's go."

"What's our plan?" Both Robin and Raven said simultaneously.

"Um… I was just thinking that we rush them?" Chrom said nervously.

Robin just gave the man a look of disbelief while his sister was scanning the town, looking for anything they could use to their advantage.

"If I could make a suggestion, that sounds like an awful plan." Robin deadpanned.

"I think I've got a better one." Raven said, catching everyone's attention. "Frederick should be fast enough to flank around the village and attack the enemy from the side. Chrom and I attack head-on with Lissa to heal us while Robin protects her from the back." Raven said.

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "And why is your brother the one guarding my sister?" He asked, genuinely curious as to the woman's reasoning.

"Well, you need the ranged support, so it's either me or my brother with you. My brother has both a tome and a sword, so that implies that he was a more capable fighter than I was before we lost our memories." Raven explained.

Robin continued. "Since you're likely the better swordsman, we need you to be our front line while Frederick prepares the flank." Robin explained. "I can help you pick off a few mages from across the river with my magic."

Chrom nodded his head. The twin's reasoning was good. "Alright, we'll do it your way. Frederick, flank the enemy as quickly as you can." Chrom ordered. The knight complied, though not before he sent a withering glare at the twins.

Everyone quickly fell into position, and Robin soon noticed that the bandit that his sister zapped was getting up. He quickly approached the man and unsheathed his sword. The bandit raised his axe, but for Robin, the man's moves seemed extremely predictable. He sidestepped the overhead swing and lunged forwards, piercing the man's chest but not killing him. The bandit then roared in anger and swung sideways at Robin, who tried to block in response, but found that the man's strength simply overpowered his own, and Robin was scratched by the axe. It wasn't a terribly deep wound, but it still hurt. Robin managed to dodge under the man's next desperate horizontal swing, and slashed a deep wound across his chest, killing him.

That was when Robin noticed something strange. He didn't feel anything. He felt no regret for ending a man's life, no remorse at all. What did it say about who he was that he could just accept the fact that he killed a man?

A shout of pain threw him out of his thoughts, and Robin spun around to see that his sister had been attacked by one of the enemy mages. Growling in anger, Robin pulled out his tome and channeled magic through it.

It would be years before anyone could explain what happened next, but Robin would suffer the nightmares of it for years longer. As a purplish-black aura surrounded the mage, the bandit started screaming in pain. He clutched his head and continued to scream, and Robin could feel the man's life force leaving the mage's body. After a few more seconds of intense screaming, the mage's eyes emptied of life, his skin was a ghostly pale color, and he collapsed, hands still clutching his head. Some of the bandits as well as Lissa looked between the husk that was once a man and Robin, clearly afraid of whatever spell Robin had just used.

However, Robin was not aware of this. All he could do was look at the tome in his hands. It wasn't how the man died that disturbed him the most, though that was a large part of what troubled him. No, that wasn't the truly disturbing thing.

The worst part, the part that made Robin feel so incredibly WRONG inside, was that the whole time, all he felt was a euphoria. He could feel the man dying, see him screaming in pain, and all he could think about was how AMAZING it felt.

And that was why he threw the book into the river, and shivered immediately afterwards. He noticed that his wounds healed, but he didn't really care. Nothing was worth doing that again. All it did was raise more questions about who he once was.

* * *

Eirika had silently listened to Mark-no, not Mark. Robin. Talk for a while now, but he grew silent at the memory. She decided now would be a good moment to speak up.

"You truly felt nothing when killing?" Eirika asked.

Robin nodded. "I eventually did start feeling remorse for those that I killed, but at first, I didn't. I eventually found out why… And I wish I hadn't." He said.

"What you did to that man… It still haunts you, doesn't it?" Eirika asked softly.

"... Yes. It's one of the many reoccurring nightmares that I have. I eventually learn that the euphoria is just a side-effect, but I can't use Nosferatu properly without my target suffering extreme pain first." Robin explained.

"Why?"

"... We'll get to that. Later." He said.

* * *

From there, things actually started to improve, though Lissa and Frederick gave Robin a wide berth for about a week. Robin and Raven were asked to join the shepherds. However, their first night, a strange portal opened in the sky, dropping a man that went by 'Marth' and a horde of strange undead creatures.

Apparently this new threat, deemed 'Risen', had never been spotted in Ylisse, and threw everyone into a panic. During the fighting however, the twins noted something strange. Raven had the strange ability to be able to predict the enemy's movement extremely accurately, and was able to predict how the enemy forces reacted on a large scale. However, Robin was different. He seemed to be able to size up his enemy at a glance and determine some of their basic strengths and weaknesses.

Upon learning this, Chrom hired the two as tacticians for the shepherds, saying that the two of them, if they worked together, should be unstoppable. And it was true. Over the next few weeks, they engaged in battle with Risen and bandits alike, and the two's strategies resulted in only very light injuries for their group. The two soon realized that their abilities only got better the more they fought against their opponents. Raven could determine weak points in the enemy's formation, and how to lower the morale of her opponents, whereas Robin could find weaknesses in the fighting styles of his opponents, allowing him to more easily dodge and deflect attacks, as well as go for the killing blow more easily.

However, after encountering 'Marth' again in the arena, Robin noted something strange. It seemed like his input was starting to matter less and less to Chrom, with his sister tending to be the sole voice of advice in their war room meetings, which were hardly fair. While he wasn't quite as good a tactician as his sister, he still won about one in every three chess matches, so he certainly could offer valuable advice.

And so the situation deteriorated. It got so bad that Robin stopped showing up for the meetings and instead trained his swordsmanship. He had sworn off magic ever since Southtown. He had been assured by the mages of the shepherds that all he needed was practice, Robin still wasn't ready to use magic just yet.

He had shown quick improvement in his swordplay, and he eventually managed to surpass even Frederick in terms of skill, which shocked many. However, he found that no matter how hard he tried, Chrom and Lon'Qu were always a challenge for him to beat. They were better than him for sure, though whenever he fought them, it always felt like he could do better, which confused him.

Then… That day happened. The day Emmeryn was captured…

"What?!" Chrom shouted, upon hearing the spy reports that Basilio gave them.

"Oooh…" Lissa trailed off, fainting into Robin's arms.

"Lissa? Lissa!" Robin said, trying and failing to get the princess to respond.

Chrom was furious. He wanted to leave immediately, but the Khans managed to get him to calm down and think.

The prince sighed. "Well Raven? What do you think?" Chrom asked, that strange expression once again on his face. Robin had started noticing it, but had no idea what it was about. It happened whenever Chrom asked his sister for advice, and it made Robin both happy and angry at the same time.

"I-I… I don't…" Raven trailed off nervously.

Everyone's morale was already low, but Raven's response just made it worse. Robin knew he had to act fast.

"I can do it." He said, catching everyone's attention.

"You sure boy?" Basilio asked skeptically. "This isn't going to be easy…"

Robin only nodded. "It will be difficult, for sure." Robin said, then he smirked. "But I didn't just inherit the looks of the family." He teased, trying to ease the tension.

It worked. Chrom, Basilio and Flavia all started laughing, though Chrom's was more of a nervous chuckle. His sister glared at him, but her expression quickly softened, silently thanking her brother.

However, Robin knew subconsciously that he might just be getting their hopes up… His sister was far too distressed to help him, so he would have to do it on his own. The trip was surprisingly uneventful, but it was when they reached the capital that Robin realized he was in over his head. The Exalt was completely surrounded. She was about to be cut down by an executioner, but Virion managed to land a shot just in time, which sent everything into chaos.

To this day, Robin still remembers what happened next. As he signaled the pegasus knights to save the Exalt, a group of Risen appeared out of nowhere, slaying them all. Robin could only stand in shock, seeing no further solution. He was aware of Chrom shouting at him, telling him to do something, anything, but Robin could only stare blankly as Emmeryn stepped off her perch… And fell to her death.

It had been several hours since then, and everyone had avoided Robin like the plague. His sister and Lissa were both practically catatonic, and Robin didn't even want to face Chrom. Robin saw Sumia approach him and land next to him.

"Robin." She said, all cheer and enthusiasm gone from her normal voice. "There are enemies in our path."

Robin sighed and nodded. He would have to relay this information to Chrom. He walked over to where the prince was marching, and everyone quickly got out of his way as he approached. It seemed that they all blamed him for Emmeryn's death in some way. He thought the same… He should have tried harder, had more backup plans, come up with something at the last second, anything! Raven would have, he was sure of it…

Regardless, he found himself next to Chrom at the front of the line.

"Chrom." Robin said, making his presence known, but Chrom didn't even look back.

"Chrom, there's enemies approaching, we need-" He started.

"No. I'm not listening to you anymore." Chrom replied, and Robin flinched at the fury leaking out of his words. "Because of what YOU did… My older sister is dead."

Robin could only stay silent. He had no words to defend himself.

"Shepherds!" Chrom shouted. "There are enemies ahead! Arm yourself quickly!" He shouted.

The ensuing battle was bloody, but Robin was just thankful for the distraction from his thoughts. They had no battle plan, and suffered heavy injuries because of it. Robin found himself more injured than the rest, since he had no one to watch his back. However, he knew that going to a healer was fruitless. Maribelle disliked him on a good day, Libra was heavily devoted to the loyal family, so he probably hated Robin, and Lissa…

He sighed. He'd just have to take some vulneraries. Looking ahead, he saw a woman with pink hair and… A strange outfit trying to fight off two soldiers and failing. From the looks on their faces, they didn't seem to want to kill the woman, but Robin doubted that they had much of a choice. Leaping to the woman's defense, Robin stabbed one of the soldiers through the back and then quickly followed up by slashing across the chest of the other surprised soldier.

Panting, Robin addressed the strange woman. "Are you okay?" He asked.

The woman nodded her head. "Y-yes… Thank you…" She said.

"What are you doing here?" He asked. "You're obviously not a soldier, so why were you fighting?"

Her hands were shaking, but she gripped the sword even more tightly. "I-I… I heard… About what happened t-to Emmeryn… And I want to help! She was s-s-so kind to me and I d-don't…" She managed to get out before she started sobbing.

Robin sighed, and gave the strange woman's shoulder a comforting squeeze. "Look, I get it. But you need training if you want to fight properly, which you're not getting now." He stuck out his hand. "I'm sure you'll get the chance to train later. For now, my name is Robin. Pleased to meet you."

The woman took his hand tentatively. "M-my name is Olivia… I'm a dancer and I've been guarding the escape wagons…" She said.

Robin nodded. "Perfect. Go tell Prince Chrom. He's over there." Robin said, pointing towards Chrom.

Olivia seemed nervous. "Wh-what?! W-why can't you go tell him?!" She exclaimed, mortified by the idea of talking to Prince Chrom.

Robin sighed. "Because… We're not getting along right now. He wouldn't want to see me. Please? Could you do this for me?" Robin asked desperately.

Olivia sighed and nodded before heading off to tell the prince of what was happening.

* * *

"That hardly seems like it was your fault…" Eirika pointed out. "After all, who could possibly predict that the enemy would summon an army of undead out of thin air?"

Robin nodded in agreement. "I know that now, and I imagine Chrom does too, but at that point logic had very little to do with how we thought of that day. It was a huge blow to us all, especially Chrom. But because I didn't even try to defend myself he just kept blaming me. I didn't participate in the rest of the very short war because of that. However, soon after he got engaged to my sister I think he realized that he had been overly harsh, but I just… Retreated. I became devoted to training in any way that I could. I took up the lance, axe, bow, and yes, eventually I learned magic, though I kept away from dark magic for quite some time." He said.

Eirika's eyebrows shot up. "Wow. How long did you train for?"

Robin sighed. "Only two years." He said. Seeing Eirika's expression of shock, he continued. "Everytime I picked up a weapon, I got an eerie sense of familiarity. When I trained, it felt more like I was relearning things than learning new concepts. But the strangest part of those years wasn't that, it was a chest that I received, from someone claiming to be my father…"

* * *

Robin was training in the shepherd's barracks, as he always had been. The only time when people didn't see him training was when he was playing a strategy game with his sister. He ate his meals out in the training grounds, as the only people who were comfortable talking to him were Olivia and Raven. His sister told him that there were a fair few rumors going around that he and Olivia were together romantically, but neither of them were interested in the other that way. That didn't stop Raven from teasing Olivia about it, since Robin was too oblivious for teasing to work on him.

However, on this day, while Robin was practicing his archery, a messenger arrived for him. Half expecting it to be from Chrom, Robin donned his coat.

"Are you Sir Robin?" The messenger asked. When Robin nodded, the man continued. "There's a chest I've got out back that's addressed to you. It's pretty heavy, so I'd like your help moving it." He said.

Curious now, Robin followed the messenger out to the front of the barracks where a wagon was waiting. The messenger started pulling at a large purple weapon locker, and Robin helped him.

The thing was really heavy. Robin knew he wasn't the strongest man in the world, but he had at least above-average strength, and this thing was definitely too heavy for him.

Upon entering his room, the messenger dropped the chest immediately and bid Robin farewell. It was then that Robin noticed a letter attached to the top, as well as a few large bags attached to the sides. His face went red when he realized, much to his shame, that he probably could have made it a lot lighter by removing the sacks first.

Shaking his head of these thoughts, he read the letter.

 _Heard you lost your memories. I know you're probably fighting again, so I figured I could send you some of your old fighting equipment. If you don't remember how, there's some warp powder for you to practice with. Hopefully you're as good with dark magic now as you used to be._

 _Love,_

 _Dad_

 _P.S: If you come across your sister, protect her for me, will you? I don't want to lose her again._

Robin's eyes widened in shock, and his jaw had hit the floor upon seeing the word 'Dad'.

"Brother?" He heard, and jumped when he felt a tap on his shoulder. He spun around and saw his sister, who seemed to be trying to contain her laughter.

"Sorry, I knocked, but you weren't paying attention… What's all this?" Raven asked.

Robin sighed and passed Raven the letter. She took it, and scrunched her eyes in confusion, before her entire face settled into a pout.

"Okay, really? Why do you get all the cool stuff?" She whined.

Robin rolled his eyes. "Right, because you're NOT a queen, you CAN'T get whatever you want, and that's NOT a forty thousand gold armor piece you're wearing." He said, his voice dripping with sarcasm.

Raven rubbed the back of her head sheepishly. "Well, okay, you're right… But still, you have to admit that it seems like our dad likes you more than me." She said.

Robin shook his head. "No, it sounds like he doesn't know where you are, which I find unlikely."

Raven cocked her head. "What do you mean?" She asked.

"Well, he somehow knew where I was and that I had amnesia, yet he didn't figure out that you're my twin sister? You're more well-known than I am, so that just doesn't make sense…" He mused. "No, I don't know what our 'dad' is up to, but I don't think this is completely for my benefit."

Raven nodded agreement. "You're right, but that doesn't mean we can't use whatever it is that he's giving you."

Robin reluctantly agreed. "Yeah, but looking more closely, this isn't a chest, it's a heavily-reinforced crate. There's no keyhole, no hinges to open it… How am I supposed to get into whatever is inside?"

"Well… The letter did say that you had to practice with something called 'warp powder', and that dark magic is somehow involved." Raven suggested.

Robin shuddered at the memories he had of when he last used dark magic. Seeing Tharja using dark magic had made him feel better about the idea of using it again, but he still had not even cast a simple flux spell. He sighed, and opened one of the sacks, and saw that it was filled with a strange purple powder.

"I guess this is 'warp powder'..." Robin said. "I'll have to ask Miriel about it…" He looked to his sister. "I'm probably going to be figuring this out for a while. Want to come with me?"

"Sure, sounds like fun." His sister said with a smile. She was just happy to do something with her brother that didn't have anything to do with training.

* * *

"Wait, is that the weapon locker that my father gave you?" Eirika asked.

"Yep. I don't know how your father managed to get his hands on it, but it's the genuine article." Robin confirmed.

"Well, what was in it?" Eirika asked.

"Well… My personal weapons, it seems." He explained. "When I finally managed to get a weapon out of that chest, which took me months by the way, it pretty much confirmed a theory I'd had for a while…" He drifted off into a memory, so Eirika decided to prompt him to continue.

"What was the theory, if I may ask?"

Shaking his head of his current thoughts, Robin continued. "Right. Well, since I seemed to be well-trained in pretty much every weapon I had available, I figured that I must have been trained in their use since a pretty young age. When I found out that the box had a sword, axe, lance, and bow, I felt confident that I had guessed correctly."

"How did you end up getting the weapons out?" Eirika asked, genuinely curious.

"Well, after burning through one of the two bags of warp powder, I started to get the feeling for when it was around. It has a lot of magical energy surrounding it at all times, so any well-trained dark magic user can sense it if they know what they're searching for. I noticed, when I got near my chest, that I could sense an absolute ton of warp powder within. I concentrated, and imagined a sword in my hand, and much to my shock, the moment I channeled some magic into the box, a levin sword popped into my hands… But it was a strange purple color, not unlike the color of warp powder. I brought it to Miriel, and she said that it was some kind of strange alloy with warp powder, allowing me to send it to and from the chest as I pleased…"

"That must have been useful in combat…" Eirika mused.

Robin nodded. "It was…" He drifted.

"M-Robin?" Eirika said, making sure that the man was fine.

Robin chuckled. "Sorry. Anyways, as you said, once I started using my newly-found weapons, I was nigh unstoppable. When I dueled, it didn't matter who it was with, because I could change my weapons to best fit the situation. Chrom's switched out Falchion for a lance? Fine, I'll change out my lance for an axe. Miriel wanted to get up close with her magic? Okay, I'll use my levin sword to capitalize. I was the most flexible unit in our army, able to be used in any situation. I was never the best at any one of my weapons, but I was close enough that I could beat the best consistently. there was no one that could beat me in a duel anymore, because I simply didn't play fair…" However, as he said that, Robin's face scrunched in confusion. "No… That's not right… Someone beat me…" He muttered.

"Who?" Eirika asked.

"Well… I can't remember."

"What? You mean it's someone from before you joined the shepherds?"

Robin shook his head. "No… There was a shepherd that beat me… I'm sure of it, but I can't remember who they were… That's strange." He clutched his head in pain. "Dammit! I thought I was through with memory loss!" He shouted in frustration.

"Robin… It's okay if you can't remember right now, I'm sure it'll come to you eventually." Eirika said, trying to calm Robin down.

Robin sighed. "Alright. I'll just continue with the story then…"

* * *

Eventually, the peace that they had worked so hard for. Robin was called to meet with the king and queen of Ylisse, which was not an entirely uncommon occurrence, but what made Robin actually go this time was that the notice claimed it was important. While he would not put it past his sister to claim that the meeting was important simply to get Robin to spend dinner with the royal family, Robin figured he would give his sister the benefit of the doubt.

He managed to get there just in time to see his sister give Chrom a death glare when he suggested that she stay behind with his new niece Lucina. Robin had to stifle a laugh, but it was enough to grab both the king and queen's attention. They informed him that a country by the name of Valm was coming to attack Regna Ferox, and they were being asked to help defend.

The battle in Port Ferox was brutal, and if it had been indicative of what was to come, Robin would have been worried, but Raven pointed out that they were likely facing some of the most elite soldiers that the Valmese had to offer, since Valm would likely want to ensure that their first landing would be a success so they could land more troops more easily.

However, she also suggested that they would need more boats, which neither Ferox nor Ylisse had much of. So to that end, the group marched towards Plegia to request aid, much to the disappointment of everyone. Upon arriving, they were greeted by the advisor King Gangrel as well as the new king, who went by Validar. Chrom and Raven kept whispering to each other throughout the meeting, which didn't exactly make Validar like them any more.

However, before they left the castle, the group was shocked to be introduced to the hierophant, who turned out to be an exact copy of Robin, and even shared his name. However, they were soon ushered out of the castle, and Validar would not answer any of their questions regarding the strange man.

What further complicated things was that, later the same night, Raven told Robin and Chrom that Validar had somehow talked to her in her mind, and claimed to be her father. Before they could discuss it further, they were attacked by a large group of Risen, and a strange man named Henry joined their ranks, much to the dismay of some. The new shepherd was fascinated with blood, and apparently knew Robin from before he had lost his memories.

However that was STILL not the strangest thing that happened that night. Indeed, what took the cake was when 'Marth' saved Chrom from an assassin, but called him 'father'. Apparently, she was Robin's niece, Lucina, who had come from a future where Grima had resurrected and destroyed the world.

* * *

"Wait wait wait." Eirika interrupted. "She came from the future? How is that possible?"

Robin shrugged. "From what I understand, it was a last-ditch attempt from Naga to try to change things. Even Naga wasn't sure that it would work, but seeing as the alternative was kick back and let Grima destroy everything, they tried it anyways."

Eirika nodded hesitantly. "I… Guess that makes sense… Still, Naga must be very powerful to be able to send others through time."

Robin hummed his agreement. "Yeah, but the Naga of that future probably sacrificed herself for it. She's powerful, but the only way I could see her doing something like that is by using up a LOT of life force. The only way she could get that much would be by using her own, which almost certainly killed her."

"I see… Please, continue." Eirika said.

* * *

The group took Lucina's story fairly well, all things considered. Most were confident that Raven would be able to come up with a solution, and Robin was inclined to agree with them. His sister spent a lot of time with her new-found family, but outside of that, she buried herself in her studies. Anything about the Grimleal she could find that referenced Grima directly she poured over, trying to find out how Grima was resurrected.

Robin formed (or re-formed, if you asked Henry) his friendship with Henry. The man was obsessed with blood and combat, but could be surprisingly deep when he wanted to be. The two formed a little group with Olivia, and even though they seemed to get along with each other better than they got along with Robin, Robin still considered them his best friends. However, their other new member, Lucina, would always stare at her uncle with sad eyes whenever she thought he wasn't looking, and quickly found someone else to talk to whenever Robin tried to talk to his niece. Getting the message, Robin eventually stopped trying just before they embarked towards Valm.

When they encountered the Valmese on the ocean, they were informed that they were horribly outnumbered. Robin put forward the idea to set half their ships on fire to kill off the Valmese quickly, which everyone eventually agreed to.

The following scene had caused many to lose their lunches. The luckier of their foes burned to death, but the others that tried to abandon ship quickly sunk to the bottom of the ocean because of their armor. Robin was not proud of what he had suggested, but knew that it was the best way forwards. Raven had even come by to console him, saying that she would have suggested it herself if he hadn't done so first.

Their campaign in Valm started off well. They managed to land with no casualties, and there was apparently some form of organized resistance movement, as a woman named Say'ri informed them. they marched on towards the Mila tree, and managed to rescue the voice of Naga, a manakete from the age of Marth. However, once they finished their assault on Fort Steiger, the resistance turned on the shepherds. Raven had been knocked unconscious during the battle, so Chrom reluctantly turned to Robin for advice, and regretted it almost immediately. The only solution that Robin could come up with was to break free and sacrifice a third of their army to buy some time while they dealt with Yen'fay. Basilio offered to lead the group, but Lucina told him that he would die if he did. However, Basilio knew that they didn't have any other options,, so he went anyways. Flavia followed him, but it turned out not to matter, for while the shepherds were busy fighting Yen'fay, Walhart killed Basilio.

Morale was low. Robin once again found himself being blamed for much of the problems that the group was facing, although it didn't help that he never denied anything. He had recently been given the title of 'Warmaster' by Chrom, which wasn't really an official position of Ylisse, but Robin had requested it when he realized his sister was intentionally keeping him off the front lines so that he wouldn't get hurt. When he came to Chrom with his concern, Chrom realized that, since she was both queen and grandmaster of Ylisse, and Robin was just a shepherd, Robin would always have to follow his sister's orders. To that end, Chrom came up with the idea to create a new position that Robin could occupy. He described it simply as a position for 'someone that would put what's best for Ylisse at expense of all else'. Robin thought it was a stupid idea, since that was most knights do, but Chrom was insistent, to the point where Robin accepted the idea on the condition that he didn't have to do any paperwork. Chrom then dubbed the position the 'Warmaster' to juxtapose Raven's 'Grandmaster' title.

However, Robin's new title caused most nobles to fear for their safety. Chrom had basically just given a license to kill to a man that many nobles used to bad mouth on a regular basis. Legally, they could do nothing about it, as Robin now answered to no one in the military or nobility except Chrom himself. Instead, they used the reports that they got of the war, and falsified them to make Robin look bad, spreading rumors about how he would 'accidentally' kill any allies that he either didn't like or spoke out against him. It would not be until he got back that Robin realized that, without anyone who truly knew about what happened in Valm around, these rumors had spread like wildfire throughout the populace.

However, on the Valmese continent, many were weary of Robin after he burned half their ships and killed off one of the Khans of Ferox. Some claimed that he was secretly a Plegian spy, weakening Ylisse and Ferox just before Plegia had the chance to stab both of them in the back. This rumor was so popular that some of the shepherds even started to believe it, though no one said anything.

Even amongst the Valmese, Robin was gaining a negative reputation. They feared him for what he did on the long sea, and knew of his prowess on the field of battle. It was hard to miss the man who teleported out of traps, appeared unarmed at all times, and could use any weapon he picked up with ease.

The combination of these rumors, when they returned, put almost all of the shepherds on high alert around Robin. Some now openly accused him of being a Plegian spy, though Olivia, Chrom, Raven, and surprisingly, Henry defended him. However, when they were requested by the king of Plegia to come to the castle to get the last gemstone, even they were suspicious at how convenient it was that the king knew they were looking for the gemstones.

Upon arrival at the Plegian castle, they were almost immediately ambushed. Raven managed to guide everyone to the exit, but Validar managed to teleport in front of Chrom and incapacitate him. Just as Chrom was about to prepare himself for a fight, Validar controlled Raven's mind and forced her to take the fire emblem, shocking everyone.

That night, Lucina apparently confronted her mother, but Robin hardly noticed. He was too busy preparing himself for the fight against his father. He knew that there was a good chance he could be controlled just like his sister, so he created backup plan on backup plan for if he tried to do anything.

The battle against Validar was where Robin really shined. She manage to convince Validar that she was under his control, pretend to kill Chrom, and then hit Validar with a thorn bolt in the process. She also managed to switch out the gemstones before Validar ever even got them, and gave them to Basilio, whom everyone thought was dead! As his sister kissed her husband above Validar's corpse, Robin gave a chuckle. It was just typical of his sister, coming up with the big plan to save the day. Again.

Then Robin felt it. The intense pain in his head that he got periodically, but this one was worse. Much worse. No one noticed anything different about Robin as he walked towards Chrom and Raven, but he was no longer in control. Lucina's eyes widened, realizing what was happening, but far too late to do anything about it. In front of everyone, Robin grabbed Chrom and teleported him to the far end of the room, erecting a barrier to prevent anyone from interfering. Chrom stumbled away from a swing of Robin's levin sword, but landed on his back afterwards. As everyone stared in shock at what was happening, Robin hesitated right before plunging his sword into Chrom's chest. With his hands shaking, Robin's arm descended, but before he could kill Chrom, he teleported. He teleported far away from the dragon's table, before he teleported again and again and again.

Robin vomited. He had probably teleported two dozen times in five minutes. He had gone from the dragon's table to Mount Prism, where it was said Naga herself was supposed to reside.

Robin sighed. It had barely taken any warp powder for him to travel as far as he had, and looking down at his hand, he realized why. His brand, which had always been a dull purple, looked like it was on fire. The voice in his head had explained everything. He was Grima. He was the Fell Dragon.

"Do not think like that, Fell Blood." A soft voice told him. Looking up, Robin saw the reason why he was there: an apparition of Naga herself was before him, courtesy of the fire emblem that he had swiped off of Validar.

"Oh yeah? Well, it's kind of hard not to. I'm his vessel, right? Or at least one of them. My sister and I… We were made to be the same as him. So tell me Naga, how am I supposed to think?" Robin growled.

Naga shook her head. "You care far more about this world than Grima ever did… It matters not what you were meant to be. What was it your sister said? 'We are not pawns of some scripted fate'?"

Robin looked downcast at the floor. "It doesn't matter anymore. Even if I'm not Grima, they all saw me kill Chrom, and I doubt that Grima would admit that I managed to resist him."

Naga nodded. "It is as you say. Grima's pride is simply too great to admit defeat, especially to a 'mere mortal'."

Robin looked down at the fire emblem in his hands, and asked the question that he had come for. "Lady Naga, I have a question. Something that's been bothering me since I got the fire emblem…"

"Yes?"

"We can't kill Grima, can we? I can feel the power of the fire emblem but… I also felt Grima's power. Can this truly kill him?" Robin asked.

Naga regarded him for a few moments. "...No. Grima and I cannot kill each other. We do not possess the powers to do so. The only power that could kill Grima…" She looked meaningfully at Robin. "... Would be his own."

Robin nodded. "So I was right… And I assume, by the way you looked at me, that I would die?"

"Not just you." Naga said. "You sister also Grima's vessel, and would also perish. However, if either of you have bonds with those around you that exceed the strength of the one you have with Grima, you should be fine…" She didn't have to say that Robin almost certainly had no such bonds with anyone.

"Good. Then Raven should be fine." Robin sighed with relief.

"But you will almost certainly perish." Naga warned.

"That… Is fine. If I can give my life to end Grima for good… I think I'll have done some good with my life. Just, if I could ask a small favor?" Robin asked.

"If you are truly going to sacrifice yourself to kill Grima… I only fear that whatever I could do for you would not be enough Fell Blood."

"I… Don't want anyone to be sad when I'm gone." He said. "When I die, I just want everyone to be able to enjoy the peace that I'm buying for them, without feeling guilty about it. In order for what I'm going to do to work, I'm going to need your help."

Naga's eyes saddened. She didn't expect this to be Robin's favor, but with all that he'd been through, it hardly surprised her. She agreed.

* * *

When the rest of the shepherds arrived, Robin acted like his mind had broken. Naga 'explained' to them that Grima's last attempt to take control of his body had done too much damage, and he was unlikely to ever recover. Raven cried a bit, though almost no one else did.

When Chrom performed the awakening ritual, Naga didn't tell them that killing Grima with Falchion would only put him to sleep. She didn't tell them that Raven could end Grima forever. When they left for Mount Origin, Robin stayed behind. He would wait until the shepherds were fighting Grima, and then, with Naga's help, he would teleport in while they were fighting the Fell Dragon and end it all.

Robin was waiting patiently in the temple. It was interesting, knowing that you were going to die, but yet you couldn't do anything about it. There was a certain amount of peace and tranquility that came with the thought, but what Robin enjoyed the most was the idea that he only had one more fight left. All he had to do was beat one more enemy, and it was all over. He would never have to fight again.

"Fell Blood." Naga said, interrupting his thoughts. "It is time."

Robin sighed. "Very well… Thank you Naga. For everything." And then Robin teleported. He combined all his remaining warp powder with Naga's magic and arrived directly in front of Grima.

"Robin?!" Chrom shouted, just before Robin erected a barrier spell to keep everyone else out. He would fight Grima by himself, so that he could be sure that the dragon was dead for good.

" **What's this?** " Grima's voice, a pale imitation of his own, practically shouted in his ear. " **Does me vessel want to be one with me once again? By all means… I welcome you with open arms!** "

In response, Robin summoned and threw his hand axe at Grima. However, Grima seemed to be able to control Robin's weapons, and the hand axe simply appeared in Grima's hand.

" **Oh my… Seems SOMEONE still doesn't realize their place… Very well… I will take your power myself!** " He roared, sending a blast of dark magic in Robin's direction.

Robin realized that he would have to use magic in order to take Grima down, but knew that Grima's magical prowess far surpassed his own. He dodged out of the way of Grima's magic, but Grima was already sending a wave of spikes in his direction.

Rolling across the ground, Robin grabbed a thoron tome from his belt and let it loose at Grima, who simply countered it with a dark magic blast of his own.

The magic duel continued on for several more minutes, neither side gaining an advantage, while the rest of the shepherds fought off the rest of the Risen horde. Suddenly, Robin heard someone cry out in pain, and that was enough to distract him for just a second, allowing Grima to knock him on his back.

Grima stalked over to his vessel. " **Well well… You put up a MUCH better fight than I thought you would… Validar did well with you, but I think I'd much rather end this here.** " He said, standing directly over Robin, preparing a spell to end the man's life.

Robin simply grinned. He raised his hand until it was next to Grima, and teleported his sword so that it was inside of Grima's stomach. Grima's magic tried to resist Robin's teleport, but because Robin was essentially doing this to himself, Grima's magic didn't put up a fight.

Grima's eyes widened in disbelief, and as he gaped down at the sword in his chest, Robin poured all of the magic that he possibly could, including all of his dark magic, through the sword, overloading Grima's defenses.

Grima convulsed, lightning danced between vessel and dragon, and a dark haze enveloped the two as the head of the dragon roared.

* * *

"...Wow." Eirika said. "I… Still don't understand what you did, but…"

Robin shook his head. "Sorry. I only ever explained this to your father. It's not too complicated, really. Grima and I are one and the same, so our magic treats us as such. Dark magic is easier to use on yourself, which is why there are so many beneficial curses. Since warp powder is an extension of dark magic, I figured that it had to work in the same way. Because of that, Grima's defenses thought that he was just placing a curse on himself, so it didn't put up as much of a fight as it could have. Normally, it's really hard to teleport something INSIDE of something else, but… I was desperate, and knew I was going to die so I used everything that I had." Robin explained.

"I… Guess that makes sense. So that worked? Grima died?" Eirika asked.

Robin frowned. "... Well, it definitely worked… Grima died, his avatar and dragon form started dissipating into thin air. I followed soon after, not that anyone noticed… And my sister died soon after. I met her in a kind of… Void, where I explained that I knew she would die. I didn't tell her everything though… Like I had told Naga, I didn't want her to feel guilty when I died."

Eirika stayed silent, letting Robin get everything he needed to say out.

"She… Wasn't happy with me. In her eyes, I had just killed her for no reason other than to kill Grima myself. For all she knew, there were no downsides to letting Chrom kill Grima…"

"But… If you died… How are you still here?" Eirika asked. "Was Naga wrong? Were your bonds strong enough?"

Robin shook his head. "No. The next thing I know, I feel something grabbed me out of the void and I was in Renais. I eventually found my way to the palace, and the rest is history."

"That's… Strange. You really don't know why you're alive?" Eirika asked.

Robin sighed. "I have a theory, but I don't like the implications, and I would REALLY rather not panic people without more evidence." He explained.

"I guess that makes-" Eirika started.

"One more thing. The reason why I left you all… Grima isn't dead." Robin explained.

Eirika's eyes widened in shock. "What?!"

Robin nodded. "Yeah… When I 'woke up', I wasn't in control… Grima was. But he was fighting for control with something else. I don't know what, so don't ask. While the two were fighting for control, I managed to get enough control to seal away a majority of my magic with a curse, breaking Grima's control over me and giving me control of my body. But Grima was too powerful, and I knew that he would break out eventually, so I sealed off more of my dark magic. Then some more, to the point where I could barely use warp powder anymore. Then I realized Grima could still use my anima magic to escape, so I sealed that away. Finally, I decided to play it safe and seal off the rest of my dark magic, preventing me from using warp powder."

"Why would you do that?" Eirika asked.

"Because Grima still slumbers in me, and I don't really know what to do about it. Only thing I do know is that he can only escape by using magic, and since we share our magic now… I did the only thing I could think of to trap him."

"But… You can use warp powder! Did one of the seals break?" Eirika asked nervously.

"No. When you were in trouble, I broke the seal myself. I felt like I had to save you, and I didn't think that Grima could actually break free using such a small amount of magic."

"Oh…" Eirika muttered. "So… You broke the seal… To save me."

"Yep. You're important Eirika. Not just to our cause, but to me. You've given me something that I haven't had in a while: trust. When Seth was suspicious of me, you stood up for me. When I didn't tell anyone anything about my past, you didn't pry. When I lied to you about my name, you didn't care… You'd done so much for me that I couldn't let you die."

"Robin…" Eirika said.

"Anyways, I haven't gotten to the worst part." He said. "Because I broke my seal, Grima is starting to come free. I can hear his voice every once in a while, and I know that someday he'll break free. I need to find a way to keep him contained, and the only place you have on your continent that could help me is a place called Caer Pelyn. They know where to find the 'Great Dragon', who should be able to help me."

As Robin finished, Eirika stayed silent for a few moments, before finally deciding to speak up. "So that's why you left? Because you fear that Grima will come back?"

Robin nodded. "Among other reasons, yeah."

"Do you truly believe that this… Dragon will be able to help you?"

"Honestly? No. I'm pretty sure the only ways I can get rid of Grima are killing myself or getting killed by Chrom's Falchion. Unfortunately, when I took of control of my body, Grima managed to place a curse that prevented me from killing myself." Robin said. "Otherwise I would have already ended Grima for good."

Robin didn't realize, but talking about killing himself was devastating to Eirika. "Robin… Please don't talk like that." She pleaded.

"Why? If I killed myself, Grima's threat to the world would be gone for good." He stated bluntly. "There's not much of a downside here." He said with a shrug.

"The downside is that you DIE!" Eirika screamed at Robin, who recoiled at her raised voice. "Robin, you didn't get a fair chance to find happiness… And that's too bad, but that doesn't mean that you can't still find a place where you belong." She said, tears forming in her eyes. "I don't… I can't let you die… Please…" She pleaded.

Robin looked her in the eyes, watching the tears flow down her face. He sighed, and brushed away a few tears from her face. "I will do my best Eirika. I don't know if I can do it, but what I do know is that I have time."

Eirika blushed when his hand touched her face, but she quickly blinked away her tears. "What do you mean?"

Robin shrugged. "I may not know exactly how long I have before Grima breaks the other seals, but I do know I've got at least a year. I'm not saying it's going to be easy… I'm not saying I'm definitely going to do it… But you're the best friend I've ever had. If you want me to stick around… I'll do it. It's not a good idea, but I think I've earned the right to do some stupid things every now and then." He said with a grin, for the first time since Eirika's birthday party.

The princess of Renais smiled at Robin. "So does that mean you'll fight for us now?" Eirika asked.

Robin shook his head. "No. I can't. And before you ask… I can't tell you why. Please trust me on this. If we fight those monsters, I can do it, although it amplifies Grima's voice for a bit." He paused. "I also don't have enough of my dark magic to use my weapon locker, so I'm not going to be as good as I was." He said with a frown. "So if you still want me around-"

"Which I do." Eirika said.

Robin rolled his eyes. "Then I think it'd be more worthwhile to train you some more."

"Really? You'll keep training me?" Eirika asked.

Robin nodded. "Yes. Like I said, your fighting style feels familiar, but I still can't remember from where… Which makes me to believe that someone erased the memory of someone close to me…" He mused.

"Why do you say that?"

"Well… I can remember when I was dying… I saw Olivia and Henry's son. He was standing above me, but I'd never been that close to him. I can't for the life of me think of any reason why he'd stand by my side instead of my sister's while we were both dying. The only reason I can think of is that there was someone else there… Someone he was comforting while I died." Robin said, talking about his death like it was the most casual thing in the world.

"That's… Disturbing. Do you think it's important?" Eirika asked.

Robin shrugged. "It must be. I have no idea if it was Grima or someone else that blocked my memory, but I'm going to make sure I get it back." He shook his head. "It doesn't matter right now. I'll let you know if I figure anything out, but for now we should get back."

Eirika nodded, and realization dawned on her. She was getting Robin back! She smiled wide at the revelation. "Hey Robin?"

"Yes Eirika?"

"I'm glad you're back." She said, showing genuine relief, as if getting Robin back was as important as getting to Rausten.

This gave Robin pause. He knew that his departure had hurt Eirika, and he felt like he had to make it up to her.

"Eirika." He said, making her turn around and stop walking.

"Yes Robin?"

"I think it's about time that I swore my service to you officially." Robin said.

Eirika shook her hands. "Oh no Robin, you don't have-"

"I insist." Robin said, lowering himself to one knee. "I learned this little oath in a book. It's supposed to have some magical properties, so it feels appropriate for this." Robin said.

Just before Eirika started to protest, Robin spoke up. A faint aura of life surrounded Robin as he started to speak.

 _Should the earth split open,_

 _Should the skies themselves catch fire,_

 _Should the minions of hell pursue you,_

 _I will be there._

 _Should you require my life,_

 _Should you require my experience,_

 _Should you require my pride,_

 _I will give it._

 _Should you wish me dead,_

 _Should you wish me alive,_

 _Should you wish me gone,_

 _I will obey._

 _For you I will be nameless._

 _For you I will fight._

 _For anyone I would gladly die,_

 _But for you I will live._

Finishing, Robin opened his eyes and stood up to Eirika. "There. That should do it." Robin said.

Eirika simply stared wide-eyed at Robin. "You didn't have to do that Robin…" She said.

Robin shook his head with a grin. "No. I didn't." He said, walking ahead towards Carcino. Eirika sighed with exasperation and walked alongside him.

 **A/N:**

 **Um… Wow, that was long. Longer than I thought. Then again, I basically summarized my entire AU of awakening so…**

 **I've actually thought a few times about doing a few one-shots in that AU after I'm done with this story. Would anyone want to read that?**

 **Outside of that… This is basically my entire reasoning as to why Robin's not a Gary Stu. He's only barely keeping Grima from taking over his body, and he doesn't want to push it. Yeah, he's strong. He also killed Grima, soooooooo… Yeah, that's kind of to be expected.**

 **Also, I knew I'd take a reader hit, but holy crap. I went from an average of about 300 readers to about 100 readers after the last chapter. Don't know if it's bad timing on my part or if people really hate the plot twist that much…**

 **Finally, some little things. I've been considering changing the title and summary now that Robin's identity has been revealed, and I'm also looking for an image if anyone has a suggestion. So if there's another fanfic with 13 chapters, includes both Eirika and Robin, but is named something else, it's probably this one.**

 **EDIT: For some reason, the website got rid of all my formatting. Hopefully fixed now.**


	14. Interlude: Judgement

Eirika had been gone for a while now. While his sister seemed to think that Eirika was fine, Innes was not quite as sure. Tana had returned saying that Eirika was talking with Mark alone about something. Innes had not been entirely comfortable with the idea to be honest. What little he'd heard about 'Mark' left a bad taste in his mouth. However, his sister had flown off almost immediately, and Vanessa was nowhere in sight, so there was little he could do about it.

He let out a deep breath. He knew that Eirika had become more and more capable, as the previous battle had proven. He would just have to trust that she was safe. He had been told by one of Eirika's troops that Mark had somehow been replaced in the mere week or so that he'd been gone. He was to meet with this new tactician to discuss what they were to do next.

"Okay, well as soon as you see sign of Eirika or Mark, report back here immediately. Klimt claimed to be our friend, but I'd rather head out before we have to test that." He heard a woman's voice say from within the war tent.

Opening the war tent, he bumped into Vanessa.

"Oh! Sorry milord! I'll be on my way!" She said, speeding past Innes. However, the prince barely had time to react before a blur of green rushed right past him. He rolled his eyes at the retainer's antics.

His eyes finally set on the new tactician. He noticed the woman before him, and even though she had changed her hair color and outfit, Innes was perceptive enough to know who he was looking at.

"Well… I never imagined I'd see you here, your highness." The prince said, raising an eyebrow in question.

Katarina narrowed her eyes. "I'm sorry, do I know you?" She asked, her voice laced with suspicion.

"Yes, but you probably don't remember me." Innes explained. "I was there for your… Return party. I'm Innes, prince of Frelia."

"Oh, I see. I apologize, my mind was… Occupied at the time." The tactician said sheepishly. "Also, I'm going by Katarina at the moment, so please don't tell anyone else who I really am."

Innes scoffed. "I don't know why you'd keep your identity a secret, but I suppose since you saved my life I'll do as you ask."

"Thank you. Now, onto business." Katarina said, gesturing to the war table in front of her. "Apparently Carcino is in the middle of a civil war, with one side wanting to side with Grado, while the other side refuses. A man by the name of Councilor Klimt has claimed to be our ally, but all the same, I'd like to move out before he decides to take advantage of our lowered guard."

Innes nodded. "A sound plan. Do we know where we're going?"

Katarina shook her head. "No. The Grado-aligned forces stand between us and Jehanna. All routes are almost certainly blocked off, and the only other ones I can see would take far too long. That's another reason why I wanted to talk to you. Do you know of any other way to get to Jehanna, or are we going to have to go the long way around?"

Innes rubbed his chin in thought for a moment. "... I thought I heard of something from my father's spy network, but nothing definitive…" A thought came to Innes' mind, and he realized that it was the solution to their problems. "But your brother was going somewhere, wasn't he? So that implies…"

"That there's something over there, probably civilization. I thought the same, but we need to learn more about it before we can commit troops in that direction. When he gets back, we'll have a lot of questions to ask him. In the meantime, we'll post up in that old fort that you managed to fortify." Katarina said, finishing Innes' thoughts.

Innes hummed in agreement. "We're going to have to find a place for some of the soldiers I brought with me. Most of them are unlikely to ever be able to fight again. I will have our healers look over them, and see what we can do." He said, exiting the tent.

* * *

"So what are you going to tell them?" Eirika asked, breaking the comfortable silence that she found herself sharing with Robin.

"Hmmm… Definitely not everything. Probably just the general idea, my general story, and then why I feel like I should leave. If enough people feel like I'm a danger-" Robin started.

"No, we agreed on this. You're staying." Eirika affirmed.

Robin sighed. "Look princess, whether you like it or not, my being alive puts the entire world at risk. It's not a matter of whether or not Grima will take over, it's a matter of when. The only consolation I have is that Grima's not the most subtle being in existence, so you'll probably know right away. Problem is, only Falchion will be able to do anything to me at that point. If I don't leave soon, it's possible that we won't be able to do anything about Grima when he does take over."

"Don't you think I know that?!" Eirika exclaimed, surprising Robin with her outburst. "You keep trying to convince me that you have to die… I just… Can't stand it. You're important, Robin. To me, to the our group… If you died, how would we be able to move on?"

Robin shook his head. "Fine. I can tell that trying to convince you is pointless. Plus, I swore to your services officially now. All I'm asking is that you're aware of the risk involved in keeping me around for too long."

Eirika sighed. "I can't promise that… You're one of my closest friends now Robin."

It was Robin's turn to sigh in defeat. "Fine. Let's change the subject, shall we? How's your training going?"

Eirika's eyes lit up at Robin's question. "It's been great! I've finally gotten the hang of everything you taught me. I've even been using it in battle a lot!" She frowned at a thought. "Though… We're going against tougher and tougher sword users now… You wouldn't happen to have any tips there, would you?" She asked hopefully.

Robin nodded. "I might know a thing or two. If you're comfortable fighting lances now, we can tone down those drills and add in some new ones…" Robin trailed off.

The two continued walking down the mountain paths. Eirika brought Robin up to speed on what had happened since he had left, though she deliberately left out that Raven had joined up with the rest of the group, as she felt like that would only add to his anxiety about returning to the rest of the group. Hearing the beating of pegasus wings, the two looked up to see Vanessa and Tana descend towards them, obviously meant to take them back to the castle. Tana glared at Robin for his earlier remark, but Eirika managed to calm her down a little bit, offering to explain more later. Robin was spending the time on the back of Vanessa's pegasus preparing himself for when he arrived at the fort. Upon arrival, he followed Eirika and Tana to where Prince Innes was apparently waiting for them. The prince's arms were crossed.

"Last time you were here, I remember you told me that you were putting everyone in danger by being around. Can I ask what made you change your mind?" Innes asked.

Robin nodded his head towards Eirika. "That would be because of Eirika. She's been absolutely insistent on keeping me around, even when I told her everything."

Innes raised an eyebrow. "Everything?"

"Everything important. I need to explain a few things, but I want to get everyone's opinions on something first. Do you think you could gather everyone? I need to tell them some of what I told Eirika."

"Robin… Are you sure about this?" Eirika asked.

Robin nodded. "They need to be prepared if the worst happens. Also, people calling for me using 'Mark' is starting to get really annoying. I'm kinda surprised that I got as accustomed as I did, but I think it's time to go back to being Robin again." He paused. "That being said, if Joshua starts calling me 'warmaster', then I'm going to punch him in the face."

Innes regarded the two for a few moments. "Hmph. Very well. I will gather everyone by the front gate, and inform them of your arrival. I will return shortly."

Robin nodded in response, and walked with Eirika towards the front gate. The princess looked at Robin nervously. Sensing her anxiety, the tactician gave Eirik a smile.

"Don't worry. I've come to terms with who I am and what I've done. Even if they hate me, I won't hold it against them." Robin assured her.

Eirika frowned at that. "I hope none of them hate you for what you've done. Surely they know that you're a good person by now."

Robin shrugged, but said nothing more, content to simply wait for everyone else to show up. The rest of the small group approached in waves. Joshua smiled at seeing his friend again, and Robin raised an eyebrow when he saw Marisa next to the red-haired mercenary, who simply mouthed 'I'll tell you later'.

When Innes finally arrived, everyone else had already shown up. However, Raven remained hidden from the rest of the group, more specifically from her brother, wanting to hear how he explained his story when he thought she wasn't listening.

Innes walked up next to Robin, who was standing with Eirika separate from everyone else. "Listen up everyone! Eirika managed to retrieve Mark, but he has something to tell you all first."

At that, Innes stepped out of the way, giving Robin the spotlight.

"So… Hi again everyone." He said, grinning sheepishly at the small crowd. "Now, before we get started, I just want to say that my name's Robin, not Mark."

That got a fair few people to start paying more attention. Everyone, save for the newer recruits, knew that Robin's real name was a secret that no one but Robin knew.

"Now, I've kept my past hidden from you for a reason, and I'm still not entirely comfortable with telling you everything. Unfortunately, my being here, with all of you, puts all of you at risk, and I feel like I need to explain why."

"You see, I'm originally from a country called Plegia, but I was known as the warmaster of Ylisse. A few years back, I helped fight and eventually kill Grima. With the help of my sister and the rest of the Shepherds, we managed to kill him, but I had to sacrifice myself to do so."

This got a few looks of confusion, and several looks of disbelief among the crowd.

"Now, obviously, I'm alive. While I'm not entirely sure how, I have a few ideas. In order to explain this to you, I need to make something clear: I was created by my father to be a perfect vessel for the fell dragon itself. The version of Grima that I fought with the shepherds was, for all intents and purposes, me." The crowds' eyes collectively widened at Robin's statement, but the warmaster continued on regardless.

"Normally, Grima cannot be killed. At least, not permanently. However, the previous exalt, using Falchion, managed to put Grima to sleep for millennia. However, upon discovering that I was a vessel for the fell dragon, Naga told me that I could kill him permanently if I was the one to land the final blow, at the cost of my own life. Needless to say I took the opportunity."

"However, very shortly after dying, I found myself somewhere in Magvel, with no idea how I got there. I didn't have control of my body either… Grima was fighting for control with something else. So I waited for both of them to tire out, and used a curse on myself to suppress Grima's power, as well as my own magical power in order to keep both Grima and the other intruder out of my body."

Robin took a deep breath. He knew that after the next part, he'd have to face the judgement of his friends, and he wasn't entirely sure if he could handle that.

"But it's not a permanent solution. Grima's power is still there, and it's getting stronger. The night when Eirika was attacked by monsters, I had to partially break a small amount of the curse, which allowed me to use my warp powder as well as some of Grima's. Now, whenever I'm near a battlefield, I can hear Grima's voice in my head, and I fear that, should I be forced into battles more and more, I'll be forced to use more of Grima's power."

Robin scanned the crowd quickly, trying to gauge people's reactions. "So the question is this: Do I stay, and risk Grima gaining control of me, or do I go home and have Chrom kill me with Falchion? And before you ask, I felt like Falchion was the right way to go, but Eirika wouldn't let me, and she's scary when she gets angry." Robin said with a fake grin, trying to keep everyone's spirits somewhat high.

That earned him a playful hit to the shoulder from Eirika, and a snicker from Joshua. However, and eerie silence came over the crowd after Robin's question. Innes was the first to speak.

He shook his head with a sigh. "While I appreciate that you saved my life and that of my men a few hours ago, I'm afraid that you simply pose too great a risk in traveling with us, sir Robin."

Seth nodded along with Innes. "I agree. While I understand that you are an important member of our group, we cannot risk the Fell Dragon awakening again, especially when we do not have a method of dealing with it."

Joshua simply shook his head. "Yeah, you would say that Seth…" He said, knowing full well about Seth's prejudice against Mark. His words earned him a glare from the paladin, but he continued on without being phased too much. "How much time would you estimate you have, Robin?" Joshua asked.

"Probably a little more than a year, maybe even longer."

"See? That's plenty of time!" Joshua exclaimed. "Look, you were obviously looking for something around here, or else you would have gone straight to the port. So I say let's try to find another way before sending you to the chopping block."

"I disagree, Joshua." Marisa said, surprising the red-haired mercenary. "We risk too much keeping Robin around. We must send him away before it's too late."

"Look, you took a risk when you guys let me join you, so I'm willing to take a risk that Robin's gonna turn out okay." Colm remarked, his hands crossed behind his head.

Neimi nodded her head. "Y-yes… If it wasn't for you… Colm and I… We might not have m-made it this far…"

"Hm. With all that I know, I know that nothing except Falchion can kill the Fell Dragon. To assume that there is another solution is illogical. We must send Robin back to Ylisse." Lute commented.

Artur shook his head. "No. This war has wasted enough lives. I refuse to willingly take another when it could be avoided."

"Where there is a will, there is always a way. We must believe that Robin can pull through." Natasha said.

Franz looked nervous, but took a big gulp of air to calm himself down. "If it weren't for you… We might not have even gotten past Valter. I… Won't abandon you. Not after all you've done for us."

Garcia simply grunted. "I'm strong… But the Fell Dragon? Even I have my limits. Sorry Robin, we have to play this safe."

Ross gave his dad a cheeky grin. "C'mon dad! Fighting a dragon? Sounds like a pretty good challenge to me!"

Gilliam shook his head. "I dunno lad… I trust you, but this is too much. I'm sorry, but I think it's for the best for you to leave."

Kyle and Forde looked at each other before sighing. "Our job is to protect the princess…" Kyle started.

"Which means we cannot allow you to stay." Forde said, though he clearly didn't want to say it. "I'm sorry Robin."

"Huh. You really think that after saving me, Tethys, and my employer, I'm just gonna turn around and abandon you? Not a chance." Gerik said with a grunt.

Tethys nodded in affirmation. "Of course. What kind of person would I be if I just shoved you to the side after you saved our lives?" She asked rhetorically.

"U-ummm… I don't really understand what's going on…" Amelia said timidly, barely getting heard over everyone else. "But… If we had the choice to not kill, I'd like to take that…"

"Hmph. Well, even though you were a jerk to Eirika earlier, I know that you're a good guy." Tana started. "You're best friends with Eirika, and I'm not gonna ask you to go kill yourself, even if it might be a good idea."

"I'm sorry sir Robin… I know that you've helped so much, but the Fell Dragon…" Vanessa trailed off. "We can't risk it. You must go back to Ylisse." The pegasus knight said, unusually somber.

Moulder nodded agreement. "As much as I hate to admit it, I have to agree with her. I don't want to send you to die Robin, but if you don't go, too many will die in your place."

Chaos erupted. Arguments thrown throughout the crowd. Stay. Leave. Kill. Don't kill. The tension was rising so high that it looked like it was going to evolve into a full-scale brawl. Robin and Eirika simply watched on worriedly, wondering if this was really as good of an idea as Robin initially thought it was.

"HEY!" Came a yell from the back, startling everyone out of their arguments. The group collectively turned their heads to see Katarina, their new tactician, stand with her arms crossed.

"Look, it doesn't even matter. The decision's been made for us." She said.

"What do you mean?" Innes asked, narrowing his eyes.

"Um, all the boats are grounded, remember?" She reminded them. "Ghost ship ring any bells? We have no guarantee that any ship we launch would even manage to reach Ylisse."

"Yes!" Joshua cheered, as everyone's eyes widened in recognition.

"Why didn't you say something sooner?" Innes growled.

Katarina shrugged. "I wanted to see who my brother's real friends were." The woman said, eyeing her brother purposefully. "Also, just so everyone knows, my real name is Raven. Since my brother told you his, I feel no need to keep mine from you." The tactician said, turning and walking back into the fortress.

Innes let out a deep breath before facing the rest of the group. "Well, now that that's over, everyone's dismissed for the night. We'll discuss where we're going in the morning, but we all need a break after today." Innes said, walking into the fortress himself.

Everyone slowly drained back into the fortress, though Joshua looked like he wanted to hang back with Robin, Marisa by his side. Robin waved Joshua on, indicating that he wanted to talk with Eirika. Once Joshua got the message, Robin turned to the princess and let out a sigh.

"Well that was certainly… Something." Robin commented.

Eirika nodded. "Indeed." She frowned. "I'm… Disappointed in how many of our friends are fine with killing you."

Robin shook his head. "We've been over this, it's the right choice. You haven't seen the Fell Dragon with his own eyes… Felt his magic wash over you, getting into your mind…" He drifted off, shivering when he remembered the feeling. "It's enough to make me desperate to prevent him from returning… But it doesn't matter now."

"Yes, thankfully. I didn't want the others to send you to your death…" Eirika commented.

"Hm." Robin responded. "One other thing Eirika… Why didn't you tell me my sister was here?" He asked.

"Well… I wanted it to be a surprise." Eirika replied, rubbing her hands and staring at the floor to avoid his attention.

Robin sighed. "Well… I SUPPOSE the forest around the fortress is comfortable enough… I'll have to grab a tent-"

Eirika cut him off. "Robin? What are you talking about? Aren't you sleeping inside with us?" Eirika asked.

"Not with my sister inside. I don't know if you remember Eirika, but when I died, she told me how much she hated me. I don't think it's a good idea for the two of us to be so close together for too long." He responded.

Eirika shook her head. "No Robin, Raven doesn't hate you."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "And how would you know that?"

"When I first found her, she told me she was looking for her brother." Robin stiffened. "She said that she said that she made a huge mistake, and that she needed to apologize." Eirika smiled. "You see? She doesn't hate you. She just wants to be your sister again!"

Robin stared towards the fortress for a good five minutes. Eirika honestly thought that her tactician had frozen in place, but just before she was going to give him a shake, he shook his head.

"I…. I'm not ready." Robin whispered.

"What?" Eirika asked, not understanding Robin's words.

"For three years… I thought everyone hated me… My sister especially." Robin explained. "Hearing that she doesn't… That she wants to make amends? That's not easy to just accept. I need some time to come to terms with this…"

Eirika was silent for a few moments, before she nodded. "Alright. Where are we camping?" Eirika asked.

"Hm? What do you mean?" Robin asked.

"Well, you said you were sleeping out here right? Did you really think I'm going to let you sleep by yourself right after I got you back?" She asked rhetorically.

Robin's eyes widened, before they softened and a grin grew on his face. "Alright. I'll go find a spot if you go get the supplies. We need to set up soon - it's getting late." Robin said.

Eirika nodded. She gave Robin one more smile before she walked back into the fortress.

Robin walked away, turning his thoughts towards the princess that had become so important to him so quickly. It was strange. He had never felt this close to Henry or Olivia, and they were his closest friends. He knew that she was important to him. Just the thought of losing her made his chest ache, and his nightmares had recently included her more and more often… He loved talking to her about his past, even though they brought many painful memories for him. She made dealing with it so much easier, and most importantly, she trusted him. No matter what, she had always trusted him. She was so thoughtful, caring, beauti-

He froze mid-thought. _Is this love?_ He thought to himself. He had no idea. His sister had constantly teased him that he wouldn't know romance if it punched him in the face, and he supposed it was true to an extent. His father had made sure that he didn't know anything about love or romance as a child, for fear that his "perfect weapon" would fall to the most unpredictable human emotion by accident, and suddenly change loyalties.

Because of that, Robin was very dense when it came to anything related to romance. He just never grew up with the same knowledge that everyone else received in some fashion.

 _I… Don't know…_ Robin thought to himself. _No… It can't be. I've never felt love before. Besides, I'm Grima's avatar. From what everyone else told me… I don't think I can love._

Said comments often came from the more devout followers of Naga's faith, but since everyone was an expert on love compared to him, Robin eventually started believing in the ridiculous claim, especially when his father decided to fuel the idea with his own 'confession'.

 _ **Even with I was… I stand no chance. She turned down Seth… The most devout, gallant, paragon of a knight I've ever seen… I don't hold a candle to that…**_ Grima's voice, disguised as his own, added.

Robin silently agreed with Grima's voice, not realizing that it wasn't his own. He shook the disturbing thoughts out of his head. After exiting his thoughts, he realized that he was in a nice little clearing next to the fortress. Marking the location in his mind, he turned back towards the fortress. When he arrived, he was surprised to see not only Eirika, but Joshua and his new friend Marisa.

When his eyes widened in surprise, Joshua simply smirked. "What? You think I'm going to leave to two of you alone? I don't think we need a new heir to the throne THAT badly." He teased.

Even Robin blushed at that comment. Virion had taken him to a… Establishment… Where he attempted to teach Robin the 'finer aspects of a woman's form' when Virion realized that Robin simply didn't find very many women to be attractive. Upon making sure that Robin wasn't gay, he practically dragged Robin to a strange place where women seemed to be wearing very little clothes. Raven eventually found out what Virion was trying, and beat the stuffing out of him for trying to 'destroy her brother's innocence'. She had to later explain to Robin how children were made, which was the most awkward conversation either twin had ever experienced.

Let it be known that both of the twins were overprotective of each other. However, everyone who had ever hurt Raven would agree that Robin's anger was worse. MUCH worse.

No matter what, Joshua was silently cheering at finally getting Robin to blush. In response, Marisa punched Joshua in the shoulder. He turned to comment, but was immediately silenced by Marisa's deadly glare.

He gave a nervous chuckle. "Relax… I was only joking…" Joshua said, rubbing the back of his head sheepishly.

Marisa shook her head at Joshua's antics. She turned to address Robin.

"My name is Marisa. So long as you keep Joshua safe, I will fight for you." She said. Marisa then walked towards the direction Robin came from, not waiting for Robin to guide them to his spot. The others watched as she left. Joshua sighed in exasperation.

"Excuse Marisa. She… Has a hard time getting along with others." Joshua awkwardly explained. He looked away from Robin and Eirika, opting instead to look towards where Marisa disappeared to. "I… Need to discuss some things with her tonight. I had wanted to talk to Robin, but I think I need to talk to Marisa more." He turned to face Robin. "I'll talk to you in the morning though, alright? Now that you're being all open with your past, I want to hear all about it soon." Joshua said, following Marisa.

Robin stood there, watching Joshua run after Marisa.

"If they were just going to run off on their own, what was the point in me even scouting out a place to begin with?!" Robin exclaimed in shock.

Eirika started laughing at that. Robin soon joined her.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **Hey, it's been awhile… Sorry about that. Things got real busy for me, and then I got sick, and then I revised this chapter about 10 times… It wasn't pretty.**

 **But yeah, I just wanted to get this one out there. I was originally going to add the next chapter onto the end of this one, but I just couldn't get it to flow correctly, so I separated the two. Sorry that it's a little short because of that.**

 **The whole point of this chapter was really to show just why Robin has to stay with the rest of the group, since logically, he should be staying very, very far away.**

 **Finally, I'd just like to say "Thank you" to everyone that's bothered to spend the time to read The King's Tactician, and I just want to let you all know that I fully intend to take this story to it's end…**

 **It just might take me a while.**


	15. Creeping Darkness

Within the meeting room of the small fortress, Raven wore a thoughtful expression. Her brother's reveal to the rest of the group had not been what she had expected. She thought that he would call out the shepherds, portray them as villains for how they treated him. She wouldn't have blamed him if he had, after all he had done… After all that they had done to him, they deserved it. But he didn't. Instead, Robin seemed to feel bad for what he'd done.

Why was that? Robin had never been a monster. He had never been a traitor. He KNEW these things… Was he acting? Trying to garner sympathy from the others? Lowering their defences?

Raven shook her head. That kind of thinking and doubt was why her brother had been portrayed as a traitor in the first place. She needed to be there for Robin now to make up for the fact that she hadn't been there for him in the past.

Her "death" after Grima's demise… Shocked her, to say the least. She felt betrayed, as if her own brother had deceived her, pretending to care about her while secretly plotting her demise. She lashed out at him, but became confused when he reacted by giving her the saddest smile she'd ever seen and telling his sister to 'enjoy the peace that they fought for'. Before he disappeared.

Even then, she stubbornly still believed that her brother had betrayed her. However, this quickly faded when a very angry divine dragon appeared before her and explained just what Robin had done. Naga was so angry with Raven's attitude that she told her everything, showing just how badly the tactician had hurt her brother, and just how far he had gone to ensure his sister's happiness.

Raven had been crushed at the revelation. When she finally woke up, and after she reunited with her family, she asked if anyone had found her brother. She explained to Chrom, Morgan and Lucina what exactly Robin had done, and set off soon after that to find her brother. Even though she was no longer linked to him because of Grima, Naga had told her that Robin was still alive, but she did not know why Robin had returned to life, which worried the tactician, but she pressed on regardless.

Now, after travelling to Magvel, Raven's luck seemed to be spot-on, as she managed to find her brother almost immediately. It made the months-long journey across the ocean worthwhile. She did not know if the rest of the shepherds had followed her, but she didn't care. She was here. Her brother was here. She would either bring him back with her, or make sure that this new group he found himself with treated him better than the shepherds had.

Or at least, that's what she originally thought. Now though, she didn't know what to think. Grima lived? And if her brother was to be believed, would escape from within Robin in a year or so? How was Raven supposed to react to that? She had just found her brother again, and now he was trying to end his life for the sake of the world - again? It was like reuniting with a long-lost relative, only to find out that they had been diagnosed with a terminal illness.

Only this one would destroy the world if he didn't die soon.

Burying her head in her hands, Raven let out a heavy sigh. She didn't want to think about the whole Grima mess right now. The dragon had already taken her brother away from her once, and even if he were to do so again, she wanted to enjoy what time she had left with him while she could.

But Robin had changed a little bit since Raven had last seen him. He seemed so much happier, more like how he had acted before Emmeryn's death rather than the stoic personality that he'd adopted afterwards. While initially curious as to what could have caused this change, she didn't have to think on it for too long. From what she had gathered, he was quite close to the princess of Renais. Much closer than he'd ever been to her, Henry, or Olivia. Raven wondered idly if the two might have more going on than mere friendship.

She doubted it though. As smart as her brother was, he still acted like an idiot at times, especially when it came to anything related to romance. Even if Robin had feelings for Eirika, Raven doubted that he would ever act on them. She would have to help him figure out what he felt for the princess, but that would require Robin to forgive her first.

Hearing the door open, Raven shook herself out of her thoughts. Innes stepped through the door with Eirika, though her brother was nowhere to be seen.

"Where's Robin?" Raven asked the two.

"He's making sure that everything's ready for our departure. He… Needs some time before he's ready to talk to you again." Eirika explained.

Raven's expression saddened, as she wrongly assumed that Eirika meant Robin had still not forgiven her for how she and the rest of the shepherds had treated him.

"That's not important right now." Innes said, interrupting Raven's thoughts. "We need to figure out how we're getting to Jehanna. Apparently, Robin was looking for some kind of village hidden in the mountains that went by the name of Caer Pelyn." Innes explained.

Eirika shook her head. "But Robin said that he didn't know exactly where it was. He was planning on just wandering the mountains until he found the hidden village. We don't have that kind of time. If there is a path to this place, Robin assured us that it should have other paths that should take us to Jehanna."

Raven finished the two's thoughts. "But we need someone to guide us there…"

"Maybe I can help!" A young voice said from the doorway.

Turning towards the source of the new voice, the trio saw a young boy with red hair and a mage's cloak standing in the doorway. The group then saw Tethys run towards him.

"Ewan!" Tethys shouted. "Don't interrupt the leaders while they're talking!" She scolded.

Raven shook her head. "We don't mind. Tell me Ewan, do you really have a way to Caer Pelyn?"

Ewan nodded his head. "Yeah! My teacher lives there! If we go to where I meet with him, I'm sure he'd let you guys travel with him if you asked nicely!"

"And who is your teacher, if I may ask?" Innes questioned.

"His name's Saleh. He's really good at magic!"

Innes rubbed his chin in thought. "Hm. I recognize that name. I've heard it from the lips of some of our Frelian spies. That's where I recognized the name Caer Pelyn from… I tend to hear his name talked about alongside the village."

"Frelia has spies?" Eirika asked.

"Of course." Innes scoffed. "Frelian spies are the best in the world." He boasted.

"Then how did Grado catch you by surprise?" Raven deadpanned.

Innes simply glared at the tactician in response. "Irrelevant. We now have a way to Caer Pelyn. Ewan, you will lead us to your teacher. Tethys, please inform the others that we leave in an hour."

The two nodded and left, leaving the three royals to talk amongst themselves, ironing out the details of their plan. Eventually, Innes bowed politely to the two women and excused himself.

"Well, I'll be off. I have to get ready." Eirika said.

"Eirika." Raven interrupted. "Please… If you can, I really want to talk to my brother. Now that I know that my time with him is… Limited… I want to make things right between us sooner rather than later." The tactician pleaded.

Eirika regarded Raven for a second, before nodding. "I'll do what I can." She promised. "But he's going to need time." Eirika said as she left.

Raven bowed her head in shame. She knew that what she and the other shepherds had done to Robin was unforgivable, but now she had the chance to make everything right.

* * *

Trekking through the mountains was quite the ordeal for the entire group. Their progress was slow, but the urgency of their task pushed them forwards at a steady rate. Robin was at the back, chatting with Joshua. They had finally gotten to talk to each other, since Joshua had talked to Marisa most of the night before.

"So. You're secretly the vessel for a dark god." Joshua started.

"Yep." Robin replied.

"Your sister's royalty."

"Also true."

"Helped win two wars."

"Three if you count the Grimleal." Robin corrected.

"And are basically regarded as the boogeyman worldwide for reasons outside of your control. Does that about sum it up?" Joshua asked.

"More or less." Robin replied. "And before you ask, the whole 'Warmaster' name was Chrom's, not mine. I hated it, but he just seemed so… Happy about it, you know? Like it was important to him."

Joshua grinned at Robin. "Okay."

"You're still going to call me that, aren't you?"

"Oh yeah. Big time."

"I hate you." Robin deadpanned.

As the sound of Joshua's laughter carried forwards, Raven looked back with a smile on her face. She turned to her right to talk to Eirika, who was travelling along with the new tactician.

"It's good to see Robin happy again. I haven't seen him this happy since Emmeryn died." Raven commented.

Eirika nodded. "Robin has done a lot for everyone. He's well liked here… Though some people still don't get along well with him." Eirika said, shooting a glance at Seth, who was riding at the very front of their group.

Raven followed the princess' gaze and frowned. "Why is that? From what little I've seen of Sir Seth, he doesn't seem like a bad person, so he must have some kind of reason."

Eirika sighed. "His reason has changed throughout our journey… At first, Seth didn't like Robin because he felt as if Robin should have done more to save Renais. Then, he was suspicious of Robin because it was obvious that he had a lot of secrets. After that, he found out about Robin's past, but only the story that made it over here, which made him out as some form of villain."

Raven nodded in response. "I'll talk to Seth some other time. I'll hopefully be able to explain to him that Robin is a good person."

The two women travelled along in silence, both thinking about their situation. Raven was thinking about how to fix the situation with her brother, both regarding Grima and Sir Seth. Eirika was actually doing the opposite, trying desperately to not think about her close friend's condition with Grima, since that only led her to think about Robin's death.

Raven was the one who eventually broke the silence. "So that new girl, Marisa, what do you know about her?" Raven asked, referring to the pink-haired enigmatic swordfighter.

Eirika looked back at the woman in question, who was walking just behind Joshua and Robin, not saying a word. "Not much. Joshua said that they were childhood friends, but neither of them mentioned much more than that. She seems quite protective of Joshua though."

Raven nodded. "Well, that should keep her on our side then. It would be kind of hypocritical of my brother and I if we forced them to reveal secrets that they don't want to."

Before their conversation could continue, however, their group came to a halt.

"Looks like Innes found something. I'll go find out what it is." Eirika said, moving to the front of the column. Raven nodded and followed along with her.

When they arrived, Innes was looking at an old abandoned fort. The mist was preventing them from seeing much inside, but they could see that there was a light shining through the supposedly abandoned buildings. The prince turned around at the sound of footsteps and nodded at the two women.

"Eirika. Raven. We've heard noises coming from that fort over there. We believe that there are monsters in that fortress over there. We should get rid of them now before we lose the element of surprise and they attack us." Innes explained.

Raven nodded in response. "Alright, gather up the others. We don't know the enemy's numbers, so we're not going to try to surround them just yet. We'll draw them out with a small diversionary force while everyone else goes around the back."

Innes nodded. "Seems like it should work. Who would you recommend for the diversion team?"

Raven rubbed her chin in response. "Well, I'm not sure." At the look of questioning on Eirika and Innes' faces, she elaborated. "I'm not completely familiar with the others. I don't know who works well with who, or how they fight with others. I think it might be better if my brother helped us."

While this was certainly true, and Robin would be better at organizing their individual soldiers, the real reason why Raven wanted Robin involved was because she wanted to make up what she'd done to her brother, and she didn't want a repeat of when he was kicked out of command when he was a part of the shepherds. She would make sure that she would work with her brother, rather than accidentally force him out of the tactician role.

"I suppose." Innes commented.

Eirika nodded. "I'll go get him." She said, walking back towards the others.

After a few moments of silently waiting for the other tactician to arrive, Eirika came back, while Robin seemed somewhat confused as to why he had been called.

"So, not to sound rude or anything, but why am I here?" Robin asked.

"Well, Raven pointed out that you are more aware of how our little army functions more than she does, so we would appreciate it if you could provide some insight for our plan." Innes answered.

Robin gave a brief glance at his sister, who looked somewhat nervous in response. He shrugged.

"Alright, sure. What's the plan?"

Eirika spoke up. "We're planning on luring out the enemy and then striking from behind while they're distracted." She summarized.

Robin rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, if you're wanting a diversionary team, you're going to want some people who can take hits, like Gilliam. Seth could work, but with his mobility, it'd be better if he went around the back. We'd need a healer to support Gilliam, and I'd recommend Moulder for that job. The two have worked together for a long time, so he'd work with Gilliam better than Natasha would. I'd also recommend Ross and Garcia for diversion, based on the same idea: they can take hits if they have to. Finally, I'd give the diversionary team Artur and Lute, since Raven can be the magical support of the ambush party, and the diversion team will need some ranged support."

The others nodded at Robin's advice, and Raven excused herself to go round up the diversion team for the upcoming fight. Innes departed as well, since he needed to gather up with the rest of the group that would make up the ambush team. As Eirika was about to leave however, Robin spoke up.

"Eirika, could I ask you something?" He said, making Eirika pause.

"Of course Robin. What do you need?"

Robin shifted his feet uneasily. "I just… Did my sister really ask for me to help with the planning?" He asked.

"Yes, she did. Why do you ask?"

Robin let out a sigh. "Well… I guess it's nice to know that she's trying to make things right." He said. Seeing the look of confusion on Eirika's face, Robin elaborated. "My sister could have easily done what I just did, but I think she understands some of the reasons why my time with the shepherds was so awful, and she's trying not to repeat that mistake."

Eirika nodded. It made sense, but she knew that there was more that Robin was thinking about. "And how do you feel about that? Are you willing to forgive her?"

Robin cocked an eyebrow at Eirika. "Forgive her? Eirika, my sister never did anything wrong."

Now it was Eirika's turn to be confused. "What? But Robin, she took over your role as tactician! Everyone started turning against you because she didn't help when the exalt was about to be killed!"

Robin shook his head. "No. I don't blame my sister for getting scared when Emmeryn was in danger… That was a hopeless fight, but I knew it had to be fought."

But Eirika still wasn't convinced. "Still… She's the main reason why you were practically kicked out of the role of tactician."

Robin shook his head. "That was only for the Plegia campaign, and even then, that was mostly because she just had a better head for tactics than I did. It's not her fault."

But the look on Eirika's face told Robin that she wasn't sold on the excuses Robin was selling.

"Look, I'm going to talk to her after this battle. If you want, you can come with me and hear what she has to say." Robin said, trying to appease Eirika.

The princess of Renais sighed. "Okay, I suppose this is your choice anyways, so I won't get in your way about this."

"Thank you." Robin said with a smile. "Now, I think there's some monsters for us to kill. Let's get to it, shall we?"

Eirika smiled back. "Don't you mean for ME to kill, mister lazy?"

Robin mock-pouted. "Not my fault I start hearing voices in my head whenever I start fighting…" He muttered.

Eirika just started laughing, and Robin soon joined in. The two walked to the back of the convoy to get ready for the fight.

* * *

Everything had been going well so far. The diversionary team had been more successful than Robin or Raven could have hoped, as almost all of the monsters were now focused on the front entrance, leaving the rear free for the ambush team to attack from. Robin was silently watching the others fighting.

 _Man… Times like these make me wish I could get involved… As much as I hate to admit it, I kind of miss fighting… After all, it was what I was good at._ Robin thought to himself.

While Robin most certainly hated war and the death that was involved, there was always a certain level of satisfaction that Robin felt whenever he defeated an opponent. The satisfaction of knowing that he was among the best at what he did, even if that happened to be fighting.

However, Robin was shaken out of his thoughts when he noticed someone approaching him. A stout, muscular man with dark green hair, travelling alongside a fair-skinned woman on a horse, also sporting her own light green hair. He was about to greet them, but the woman beat him to it.

"Greetings! Are you the tactician of this fair group?" The woman asked. Without waiting for an answer, she continued. "The noble Princess Eirika has decided to aid me in my task to purge this land of darkness! So please, noble tactician, guide us to victory!" She shouted, pointing in a random direction.

It took Robin a few moments to figure out how he was supposed to respond to this woman. Luckily, Robin had met his fair share of strange personalities over the years, so he managed to compose himself fairly quickly.

"Well first, I'm going to need your names." Robin said.

"Ah! Where are my manners? I am the jewel of Rausten, the beautiful princess L-"

"Lady L'Arachel! You must not give away your identity!" The man shouted.

L'Arachel gasped. "Oh my, I suppose you're right Sir Dolza, that would have been disastrous!"

Robin simply pinched the bridge of his nose. _Eirika must have recruited her for a reason. She must be at least somewhat useful, right?_ He thought to himself.

"Irregardless, my name is L'Arachel, a pleasure to meet you."

"Gwah ha ha! I am milady's faithful servant, Sir Dolza!" The short man exclaimed.

"Okay, now that that's out of the way, L'Arachel-" Robin started.

"That's LADY L'Arachel to you." L'Arachel clarified.

"Fine. Whatever. How do you fight, _milady_?" Robin said, making sure to say 'milady' as dryly as possible.

Either L'Arachel didn't notice it or didn't care, for she continued anyways. "Oh, I don't fight really, such a thing is only fit for brutes! No, I have been trained in the art of healing, like any refined lady!"

"Okay, alright then. Since I don't know you or Dolza well, but you both seem to know each other, I'm going to have you support him. Keep Dolza healed up. Dolza, back up Princess Eirika, help her finish off the tougher enemies."

"Ah! I daresay I couldn't have come up with a greater plan myself! Come Dolza, we must protect the noble princess Eirika!" L'Arachel exclaimed, running off towards the rest of the fighters, with Dolza giving his hearty laughter right behind the 'undercover' princess.

Robin rubbed his temples in frustration. "When did I become the serious one again…" He muttered to himself. "I thought I was done with insane people after the Shepherds…"

 _ **You should just leave them… They don't REALLY want you here anyways…**_ Grima's voice echoed in Robin's head.

Robin frowned. It was difficult to sort out what was his thoughts and what was Grima's voice, especially on the battlefield. Because of this, Robin had decided a while ago that he wouldn't make any serious decisions while a fight was happening nearby. For some reason, Robin's self-inflicted curse weakened whenever conflict was nearby, and Grima could use that chance to speak into Robin's thoughts. Robin did not know if Grima could speak to him outside of battle, but he had a suspicion that that was the case.

* * *

The rest of the battle went by with little difficulty. The monsters were caught by surprise, and had very little way to counter a battle on two fronts. The fortress was soon taken back by Eirika and her group, where they met up with Gilliam and the other distraction group. They decided to spend the night at the fortress, since most of the distraction team had taken heavy injuries before the enemies were defeated.

It is on top of the walls of the fortress that we find Robin. The second tactician is busy staring off into the distant mountains, seemingly lost in thought.

"Well, this seems familiar." A voice stated from besides Robin.

Robin looked to his right and gave a grin. Standing there was Eirika.

"Yeah, I remember when we met like this at Castle Frelia. Bit of a role reversal, eh?" Robin commented.

Eirika gave a light laugh. "Yes, I suppose you're right." Her expression suddenly turned serious. "Is something wrong Robin? No one has seen you since dinner."

Robin sighed. "You could say that. The problem is that I still have to talk to my sister. I don't know how to approach this."

Eirika's expression became unreadable for Robin. "Well… Better to get it over with, right?" Eirika suggested weakly. "I know this is going to be a little awkward for you… But you two need to talk as soon as possible."

Robin nodded, a grim expression on his face. "You're right… The longer I put it off, the worst it's going to be. Hopefully I'll be able to come up with something once I start talking to Raven. Thanks Eirika."

Eirika watched Robin walk off. She frowned, and followed after Robin.

* * *

Raven was sitting on her bed. Eirika had informed Raven that Robin had wanted to talk to her today. Raven could not help but be nervous at the thought. Did Robin hate her? Did he blame her for everything that had happened? She didn't think he would, but she was so nervous that she was considering any option, even ones that were completely illogical.

Her thoughts were broken when she heard a knock on the door.

"It's open." Raven responded.

In walked her brother, the very person that she had been both excited and terrified to meet. She had not talked to her brother in years… Had he changed?

"Brother…" Raven muttered.

"...Hello Raven." Robin said, giving her the goofy smile that Raven remembered he used to use before the war with Plegia. "It's been a while."

Raven only nodded mutely, trying to composer herself. While this was happening, Robin rubbed the back of his head and shuffled his feet, helping maintain the awkward silence that was created by both the indecisive siblings.

"Robin… I'm sorry." Raven finally said, breaking the silence. "I know that… I'm part of the reason why you were so hated. I don't think I could ever-"

Robin cut off his sister. "Raven, none of what happened is your fault." Robin explained, shocking his sister. "I won't lie, at first, it really frustrated me that Chrom only paid attention to you and you spent less and less time with me."

Upon seeing Raven's guilty face, Robin continued. "But that stopped when I realized that you two were in love." He gave his sister a serene smile. "When I found that out, I wanted nothing more than for you to be happy, so I did everything in my power to make that happen… Even taking over when during the Plegia campaign when I knew that getting back Emmeryn was near impossible." Raven's eyes widened at Robin's words.

"You took over… So that I could be with Chrom?! What kind of reasoning is that?!" Raven exclaimed in shock.

"If you had failed to retrieve Emmeryn, I feared that it would drive a wedge between the two of you, shattering any hope that you had of happiness. And based on how he treated me afterwards, I think I was right." Robin explained. "Don't worry Raven… When I found out that you loved Chrom, I realized I would never again be the most important man in your life. What kind of brother would I be if I expected you to treat me otherwise?"

Raven could only gape at her brother. "You… Are far too forgiving…"

Robin simply hummed in response. "Maybe. But I spent three years thinking that you hated me, and with good reason. For me, it's you that's too forgiving."

"..." Raven was still silent, her eyes starting to tear up at her brother's words. Without warning, she shot up out of her bed and latched onto her brother with a hug, which Robin gladly reciprocated.

The two stood there for a good half an hour, before the two eventually sat down. Raven was eager to hear about how Robin had been, and Robin wanted to hear more about what had changed in Ylisse since he had last lived there.

After a while, a thought suddenly occurred to Raven.

"Hey wait a minute… We're not the same age anymore!" She exclaimed, looking far more horrified than the information warranted.

Robin gave a teasing smile to his sister. "That's right… You only 'came back' a year ago, but I've been alive for three… I guess that makes me the _older brother_ now… Little sis." He said, teasingly rubbing Raven's hair.

Raven gave an indignant pout at her now-older brother, who laughed in response. He looked out the window, and left back for his room, deciding that it was too late to stay up much longer. Raven bid him goodnight, and started preparing to go to sleep herself. However, an unexpected knock on the door caught her attention, and she was forced to answer it.

Eirika stood just outside of the doorway. "Hello Raven. I was wondering if I could have a word?" Eirika asked.

"Of course. Please, come in." Raven said, stepping aside to allow Eirika to enter.

Eirika quickly looked around the room before giving her attention to Raven. "So I take it that your discussion with Robin went well?" Eirika asked.

Raven gave a bright smile. "Yes, it went far better than I could have imagined! I didn't expect him to forgive me, but he did! I have my brother back!" Raven said cheerfully.

Eirika nodded, her expression still unusually serious. "That's good…" She muttered.

Raven raised an eyebrow at Eirika's unusual behaviour. "Eirika? Is something wrong?"

Eirika looked Raven in the eye for a few moments. Her silence, as well as her unusual behaviour, were quickly making Raven extremely uncomfortable. However, the princess of Renais eventually broke the silence.

"Yes… Yes there is. I will be honest Raven, after hearing what happened to Robin because of you… Well, let me just put it this way." Eirika said, her gaze hardening. "Robin may have forgiven you, but I haven't." Her tone caused Raven to flinch. "The things that Robin had to put up with were partly your fault, and I'm not yet convinced that you won't cause him more harm."

Raven gazed at the ground in sadness. She had been expecting something like this, though it was certainly a surprise to hear the words coming out of Eirika's mouth.

"I'm not saying that I'm not giving you a chance, but I just wanted you to know where we stood. Until you prove otherwise, I'm not going to be entirely comfortable being around you. I still feel like you could take Robin back to Ylisstol at any moment to be executed, and I obviously am not okay with that."

Before Raven could even protest, Eirika continued.

"With that being said, I bid you goodnight." The princess said, leaving Raven's room.

Raven simply stared at her doorway for several minutes. Her thoughts were going haywire, but at the back of it all…

 _So Robin's got someone who's protective of him… There's no doubt about it now. There's something going on between the two, and I'm going to make sure that they're happy… Just like Robin did for me._ Raven thought to herself, her resolve bolstered at the thought of her brother finally settling down with someone.

 **Holy hell did my life get complicated… Nothing I really want to talk about, mind you, but still.**

 **So, here's a pretty short chapter. It was originally going to be merged with the previous one, but I didn't feel like it worked well. L'Arachel makes an appearance, and I immediately regret agreeing to giving her more of the spotlight… She's just so hard to write dialogue for.**

 **Also, I'm thinking about writing a shorter story to give me a break from The King's Tactician. I've got a few ideas:**

 **Corrin reliving the events of fates under the guise of Azura's retainer**

 **A Robin/Azura story (Can't explain much more than that… Sorry)**

 **Some fluff story… Either RobinxLucina or MarkxLyn.**

 **So let me know which one you guys would like more. Friends have been suggesting to me that I need to vary things up or else I'm going to go mad.**


	16. Hamill Canyon

"Not quite. Again." Robin ordered.

He was helping Eirika train. After the princess had asked for more help against sword-users, Robin had gone back to training her like he used to. For some reason, Eirika's style of fighting was still eerily familiar for Robin, to the point where Robin had an easy time explaining how Eirika should improve.

Normally, Robin could do this for other styles, but it was only after having witnessed masters of said style in the middle of combat. That meant that Robin had seen Eirika's style somewhere. The problem with that was that Eirika's style was only used by Renais' royal family, and Robin had never seen their father fight. So where had Robin seen her style before?

Robin shook himself out of his thoughts. Eirika was sparring with Joshua in front of him, while Robin gave Eirika advice.

"Faster styles like Joshua's are almost impossible to keep your distance from Eirika. You can't stay out of their range like with more power-focused styles." Robin explained, his words just barely reaching Eirika over the sound of clashing steel.

"What you need to focus on instead is getting in as close as you can, and catching him by surprise. Throw a punch, sweep his legs, whatever you can do. In the middle of a swordfight, those are the last things that most of your opponents will be expecting, which should buy you a precious second or two to end it."

Eirika tried to do as Robin suggested and sweep Joshua's legs, only for Joshua to jump over the attack and quickly disarmed Eirika.

"Although obviously, if they're expecting you to do something, it's not going to work as well…" Robin added. He shook his head. "That was a good try Eirika. We'll have to get you some training with unarmed combat before we progress any more with your training." Robin explained.

Eirika nodded, thoroughly exhausted from her morning workout and spar with Joshua. Both he and Robin had made it obvious that she needed to get faster if she wanted to go toe-to-toe with better swordsmen. She didn't have any armor to tank blows for her, and she couldn't overpower them with sheer strength, so she had to use her natural speed and agility. Unfortunately, Eirika's current style focused more on precision strikes and Eirika's natural flexibility over speed, so she had her work cut out for her.

Eirika let out a deep breath. She turned to Joshua and smiled. "Thank you for the spar Joshua." She said.

Joshua shook his head. "Anytime. I'd rather spar with you than Marisa anyways. She takes them way too seriously."

"Yeah, what's the deal with you two anyways?" Robin asked. "How did you meet?"

"Well… We were… Childhood friends." Joshua explained.

"She seemed angry at you when we first met with her. What did you do?" Eirika asked.

"Hey now! What makes you think it's my fault?" Joshua asked indignantly.

Eirika and Robin looked at each other, and then at Joshua. They stared at him for a few moments, before Joshua finally said something.

"You both are so mean to me..." His statement was met with laughter from the other two, while Joshua shook his head.

"Whatever. You were right… THIS TIME." Joshua stressed. "I kind of left home… Without telling anyone where or when I was going."

"Yeah, that'd do it." Robin commented with a grimace. "Can I ask why you left?"

Joshua seemed to think about this. Robin had told Joshua his story, shouldn't he return that trust? He didn't think Robin would treat him any differently, but that didn't make telling him or Eirika any easier.

"I'll think about it. I'm not really sure if I feel comfortable talking about it just yet." Joshua explained.

Robin nodded his head in understanding. "Alright then, I'll let you get back to Marisa. Eirika and I have to go to the command room to figure out our next step."

Joshua nodded at the two. "Alright. I'll catch up to you when we head out." He said, heading off to pack up.

"Eirika, do you need to get cleaned up, or do you think you'll be alright?" Robin asked.

Eirika looked down at herself. She was wearing a training outfit given to her by Tana. Her normal clothes had unfortunately gotten quite dirty; Eirika didn't have anything else in the way of clothes. When her friend had found that out, she had all but forced Eirika to change out of them while Tana washed Eirika's clothes herself.

"I think Tana is still washing my clothes. This will have to do." Eirika explained.

Robin snorted at the mention of Tana. The Pegasus knight was surprisingly forceful, especially when it came to Eirika. Apparently, Eirika and Tana had two very different sets of priorities, and while Eirika viewed clean clothes as a low priority, Tana clearly did not. In fact, the only thing that stopped Tana from forcefully dragging Eirika away to shop for new clothes was the fact that there were no stores for at least a day's march away.

"Yeah, alright. I'm sure Innes will understand why you showed up in basic training gear." Robin commented sarcastically.

Eirika rolled her eyes. "Well, he can get over it." Eirika said, grabbing Robin's old green robe and throwing it on herself. "There, is that better?"

Robin looked over Eirika's outfit. Because it was originally Tana's, and Tana was a bit shorter than Eirika, it hugged the princess just a little too tightly, especially the top. It was a bit suggestive.

"Close up the cloak's buttons, and I think you'll be fine." Robin told Eirika.

Eirika nodded and did as Robin suggested. Robin's cloak had always fit Eirika surprisingly well, though that was because the cloak was designed to be much too large for any normal person. It was much easier to adjust to a smaller individual than a larger one.

"Okay, let's go find the others." Eirika suggested. Robin nodded in response, and the two walked down the hallways of the fortress towards the 'war room' as Innes had taken to calling it.

"... If they don't arrive soon we're going to have to find-" Innes started, before Eirika and Robin walked through the door.

"Sorry we're late." Robin apologized. "Eirika was training."

Innes scowled at Robin. "Being late to your first meeting as tactician does not bode well to your future. Do not do it again."

Robin rolled his eyes as Eirika frowned. Eirika was about to defend Robin, but her tactician opened his mouth first.

"I apologize your highness, I swear I will endeavor to abandon all other aspects of this war so that I can be on time for his majesty's meetings." Robin apologized as insincerely as possible, giving Innes an over-exaggerated bow.

Innes continued to glare at Robin as Raven rubbed her forehead with a sigh. Yep. Just like how he used to be. Cheerful, sarcastic, and completely disrespectful of authority. It's good that he's happy again, but I think we could all do without that last part… Raven thought to herself.

"Watch yourself Warmaster" Innes spat out venomously. "While you are in this army, you will answer to not only the princess, but myself as well."

Robin shook his head. "That would be true… If I was a soldier of Renais. However, I was discharged from Renais' army by King Fado, and I've only recently sworn my service to Eirika, not Renais. I'm basically her personal tactician. As such, I only follow your orders because Eirika wants me to. Therefore, Eirika's orders supercede your own. Which is why we were training rather than at the meeting." Robin explained.

Innes frowned, but could find no fault in Robin's reasoning. "Fine. Just please make more of an effort to be on time, we cannot afford too much wasted time."

Robin nodded. "Fair enough."

Eirika noticed an unfamiliar man dressed in mage's robes in the corner of the room. "And who might you be?" Eirika asked.

"My name is Saleh, your highness." The man, now identified as Saleh, introduced himself. "I am a resident of Caer Pelyn and Ewan's teacher. I was told that you were all looking for passage through Caer Pelyn."

Raven nodded. "Yes. Saleh arrived about an hour ago. He's agreed to take us as far as Caer Pelyn and point us towards Jehanna. From there, it should be simple for us to continue." She explained.

Saleh nodded. "Indeed. Caer Pelyn sends supply runs to Jehanna every once in awhile for supplies that we cannot produce ourselves."

"And the residents will not mind our group traveling through their borders?" Eirika asked.

Saleh nodded. "While travelers are somewhat of a rarity, it is rare that we refuse them."

Innes nodded in response. "Good. I will gather up the others. We will meet you outside of the front gate in an half an hour." Innes stated. He turned to Robin, Eirika, and Raven. "I trust that works for the rest of you?"

Getting a round of nods in response, the group dispersed, rushing off towards their rooms to gather their supplies for the road. Before long, the group was at the front gate, with Saleh awaiting them.

"Before we leave, I feel like I must warn you: our journey will take us along a very mountainous path. Watch your step as you climb, as the path tends to crumble under your feet." He warned. Everyone nodded in response, before they followed him along the path.

* * *

As Saleh warned, the path was fairly treacherous. Most had dismounted their horses, feeling safer on their own two feet. Saleh was having a fairly easy time on the path, since he had traversed it countless times before.

However, on their way through the mountains, they heard the beating of many, many wings. He entire group took up arms, but saw that the lead wyvern rider had raised a white flag. Raven quickly everyone to lower their weapons, and the leader quickly landed next to the group, leaving the rest of his soldiers in the air.

The leader took off his helmet. "My name is General Glen of Grado, and I seek an audience with Princess Eirika of Renais!" Glen shouted.

Before anyone could say anything else, Eirika walked forwards. "I am Eirika. May I inquire as to why you are here?"

Glen nodded his head in respect at Eirika. "Princess. It is a pleasure to see you again. I am here to confirm a few things that I have heard from the emperor that I have a hard time believing."

Seeing that he had the group's attention, Glen continued. "I have been informed that you were responsible for a massacre at the docks of Carcino's capital."

Eirika looked shocked at Glen's words, but then frantically shook her head. "No!" She exclaimed. "The only reason why we even fought there was because Grado hired mercenaries to attack us!"

Glen was about to respond before another voice joined in. "G-General?" A quiet voice asked. Glen turned to the sound of the voice, and saw a blonde haired girl in Grado armor, strangely enough. "My name i-is Amelia sir. I used to be a soldier of Grado. I was taught that princess Eirika was a monster th-that slaughtered innocents… But I can assure you sir, she is nothing like that at all!" Amelia said, reclaiming her confidence at the end of her speech.

Glen regarded Amelia for a few moments. "I see. I will think on this information. I must speak with the emperor, but I can assure you that, should you be telling the truth, none of you will find an enemy in me." Glen reassured them. "Farewell." Glen said, taking off again towards the skies.

Everyone watched as the dragon knights flew off beyond the horizon. "Well." Robin commented. "That happened."

Unknown to everyone else however, another troop of wyvern riders were watching on another mountain side, watching the entire confrontation. Their leader grinned wickedly.

"Well well…" Valter mused. "It appears the Sunstone has been very naughty…"

* * *

After hours of hiking, Joshua looked behind him. Both Robin and Eirika were breathing heavily, though Joshua noted that this would probably help with their stamina. However, Joshua suddenly got an idea, and a mischievous grin crossed his face. Robin was walking just a little bit in front of Eirika, and Joshua was just ever so slightly in front of Robin. They were traveling on a slight slope, just enough for Joshua's plan to work.

Joshua quickly swept Robin's right leg forwards with Joshua's left foot. As Robin fell, his eyes, wide open in panic, locked onto Joshua's face, which still looked mischievous in nature. Robin mouthed 'traitor' as he fell, but Joshua simply waved his hand ever so slightly, making sure that only Robin saw.

Robin stumbled backwards, and fell right into Eirika, who let out a small 'eep' in surprise. The two tumbled a few feet down the hill, catching the attention of the rest of the group. Joshua put a hand over his mouth to cover up his laughter, which only Marisa seemed to notice.

When they finally stopped rolling, Eirika found herself staring into Robin's eyes. She had always like Robin's brown eyes, they always seemed to be so calm in nature. However, she was now on top of Robin, only a few inches away from his face.

"Um… Eirika?" Robin said, snapping Eirika out of her thoughts. "Could you get off me please?"

Eirika then realized that she had been staring into Robin's eyes for a few moments. She quickly jumped off of Robin, her face burning red.

"Sorry." She muttered.

"Not your fault, I'm the one who fell." Robin responded, while wiping the dust off of his clothes.

"I warned you the path was difficult to traverse." Saleh warned. "There is a flat area up ahead. We will rest there for a while, some of your group looks tired."

Innes nodded affirmatively. "Y-yes… That sounds… Good." He managed to pant out.

However, one of their newest additions seemed to be against the plan. "But brave Prince Innes! The divines have graced us with this gift! We must not waste this wondrous opportunity while it lasts!" L'Arachel exclaimed.

Innes just looked at the woman strangely, but Raven, far more used to dealing with strange people, chimed in. "Be that as it may, L'Arachel, the plateau in front of us is also a gift, is it not? Our friends are tired, and so we were gifted with a place of rest, so by your same logic, we should use it."

"Gwahaha!" Dolza laughed. "Milady, I do believe she is right!"

"Quite so, quite so. It is good to see that someone in this group as some common sense. Very well. Dolza! We shall stop here." L'Arachel commanded.

"Hahaha! As you command, milady!" Dolza said, following after L'Arachel.

Saleh didn't seem to mind the duo's antics, but Innes looked at Raven incredulously. She shrugged back at him. "Spend enough time with the Shepherds, and you learn to speak the language of crazy." Raven explained.

The short rest period mostly consisted of Eirika trying to distance herself from Robin due to embarrassment. However, this just led to Robin being confused. Robin didn't feel the need to berate the myrmidon himself, since Marisa seemed to be doing that for him. He still didn't know why Joshua pushed him down the slope, but he figured it was just a part of the whole back-and-forward that they seemed to be doing.

Before too long, their little break was over, and the group continued on their way. Robin would glare at Joshua every once in awhile, who simply whistled a happy tune the entire way. Raven took a look at her brother and Eirika every once in awhile, noting how Eirika seemed lost in her own little world. Raven smiled. It seemed as if Eirika may have some feelings towards her brother. Now all she needed to do was to make sure that Robin felt the same way, and if he did, help him confess to Eirika. She knew that this whole situation was completely outside of her brother's area of expertise, so she would have to help him.

Soon enough, they arrived in Caer Pelyn. Saleh turned around to face the rest of the group. "Please wait here while I speak to the elder." He said, before he turned around and left the group. They did not have to wait long however, as Saleh soon returned with an elderly woman by his side.

"Grandmother, these are the travelers that I spoke of." Saleh explained, introducing Eirika's group.

"So I see. And who might you be?" The elder asked.

Innes stepped forwards. "I am Prince Innes of Frelia, and with me are Princess Eirika of Renais, and Queen Raven of Ylisse."

L'Arachel cleared her throat, and Innes rolled his eyes. "And Lady L'Arachel of Rausten. Circumstances have led us to move through here on our way to Jehanna. We wish to pass through."

L'Arachel let out a small hum of victory as the elder's gaze swept over the group, resting on Robin for a few moments. "Very well. But know this: in this village, we are all equal under the eyes of the great dragon. There are no princes or paupers here. Do you understand?"

"...Yes." Innes agreed reluctantly.

"Very good. Follow me then, and I will show you where your group can rest for the night." The elder informed them.

Innes was about to speak up and claim that they were just passing through, when Robin put a hand on his shoulder. Looking at Robin, the tactician in question pointed at a few members of their group that seemed about ready to collapse. Innes gave a reluctant grunt and followed after the elder, prompting the rest of the group to follow him.

* * *

Upon entering the small building, the elder turned around. "Here you are. We may not have enough bedding for all of you, but I'm sure you can manage."

A few people disbanded there and then, eager to rest after their day of climbing. However, Eirika and Robin stayed back with the elder.

"Excuse me, good Elder-" Eirika started.

"Please, call me grandmother dear. Everyone in the village does." The elder explained.

"Very well grandmother. I was just wondering, you mentioned a great dragon earlier?" Eirika asked. The grandmother nodded. "I was just wondering what you meant by that."

The elder smiled. "Ah, the curiosity of youth… Very well child, I will explain. The Great Dragon is… A gift, to all of the world. It has watched over us since days long passed, back when the Demon King first appeared…"

"Demon King?" Robin interrupted. "You mean from the legend of the Sacred Stones?" Robin said, suddenly paying far more attention to the elder's words.

"The very same."

Eirika tilted her head in confusion. "But I thought that the hero Grado used the Sacred Stones to seal away the Demon King?"

The elder shook her head. "No dear. The rest of the world may have forgotten, but we here at Caer Pelyn know the truth. Only through the Great Dragon's strength did mankind hope to seal away the Demon King. Even to this day, the Great Dragon watches over the bones of the Demon King, ensuring that it's dark brood never again swarms the land of man." The elder explained.

"Then why are we seeing the Demon's monsters all over the land grandmother?" Robin asked.

"Ah. What you are seeing is the result of a strange dark energy coming from the south. The Great Dragon went to go investigate the source some time ago. We of the village wished to send protection alongside the Great Dragon, and so I sent my grandson Saleh. However, the two were separated, and we of the village have been searching for the Great Dragon for some time, but she seems to have disappeared." The elder explained.

Robin rubbed his chin in thought. "Well, we did come across one manakete in our travels. She goes by the name of Myrrh. Is that who you're looking for?"

The elder's eyes widened. "Yes! Lady Myrrh! You saw her?! Where is she?!" The elder asked, suddenly getting very desperate.

"Last we saw her, she was traveling with my brother. He is leading an offensive on Grado's capital." Eirika explained.

The elder quickly became panicked. "Saleh!" She said, calling forth her grandson.

"Yes grandmother?" Saleh asked, rushing into the room.

"The Great Dragon has been found! She is with the Prince of Renais in Grado, in the middle of a war! You must hurry!" The elder exclaimed.

"Yes grandmother. I will-" Saleh started.

"Woah there." Robin interrupted. "First, it's been a few weeks since Ephraim left Frelia with his force. By the time you get to Grado, Ephraim will have already won and likely met up with us. Since the lands are getting more dangerous with war and monsters anyways, why don't you travel with us? We'll meet up with Ephraim and Myrrh sooner or later, so it'd just make your journey a little safer."

The elder narrowed her eyes at Robin. "How are you so sure that the Prince of Renais has beaten Grado's might?

Robin chuckled. "Because Ephraim's strong. I have full faith that he'll be able to pull through. He's kind of like my sister in that aspect, able to pull off the impossible. He managed to capture a valuable Grado stronghold with three other soldiers, and one of them was a traitor!"

The elder hummed in thought. "Very well. Since you have so much confidence, we shall do as you suggest. But know that it will be on your head if the Great Dragon is not with the prince."

Robin nodded. "No problem. Oh, by the way, would you happen to have any books on the Demon King? I'd be interested to see if you have more information than some of the other texts that I've read."

The elder stared into Robin's eyes for a few moments before nodding. "Yes. I will bring our largest text on the Demon King over. Please make good use of this information."

"Will do." Robin said, and both the elder and Saleh walked away.

"Thank you." Eirika spoke up.

"For what?" Robin asked, genuinely confused.

"For believing in my brother. I will admit, I get very worried about him sometimes. It is… Good to hear that you have such faith in him. It gives me hope that he will return to me." Eirika replied.

Eirika smiled then, and Robin's heart skipped a beat. Eirika's smile was always something that seemed so pure, and right now was no exception. For some reason though, at this moment in time, the sight of it was doing strange things to Robin's stomach. Shaking those thoughts away, Robin smiled back at Eirika.

"Well, no problem Eirika. I meant everything I said about your brother. He's probably a better tactician than I am." Robin explained. Robin stretched his arms above his head. "Anyways. I should probably get a little bit of rest. I'm going to be staying up pretty late reading that text. You coming with me?"

Eirika nodded in response, and the two headed off to take a short nap, not noticing Robin's sister smiling at the two as they passed by her room.

* * *

Later that night, Eirika found herself staring off one of the cliff faces surrounding Caer Pelyn. She looked out at the moon and stars, deep in thought. However, a voice soon came from the direction of the village.

"Princess Eirika? What are you doing here?" A voice asked.

Eirika looked and saw Seth walking along the path towards her. "Oh hello Seth. I just had some things on my mind, and I felt like getting some air." Eirika explained.

Seth nodded. "I see. I find myself in the same situation. I decided to walk. There's been… Something on my mind as of late, and I'm not sure who to talk to about it."

"Seth, you know you can talk to me about anything, right?" Eirika asked. "We're still friends."

Seth sighed. "I know… I just feel awkward talking to you about this." Seth remained silent for a few moments, thinking over his options. "Although… I suppose you are the only person I'd feel comfortable talking to about this…" He mused.

Eirika turned to face Seth, wondering what could be bothering him.

Seth took a deep breath. "I… Believe I'm starting to fall for Sister Natasha." Seth explained. "Sometime around your birthday, I just… Started falling for her, and I haven't stopped. Every time I talk to her, I care for little else. I find myself as protective of her in battle as I am of you… But I don't know what to say to her."

Eirika chuckled to herself, causing Seth to look at her questioningly. "We really are out here for the same reasons, aren't we?" Eirika mused. She turned to Seth. "I'm not sure what the solution is to your problem Seth… For I'm having the same problems." Ath this, Seth's eyes widened.

"I see." He said, a stab of pain going through his heart. It was small, but the fact that Eirika had fallen for someone that was not him hurt. He had mostly moved on though, and his feelings for Natasha certainly helped. "May I ask who it is?"

Eirika nodded mutely. "It's Robin. I've been slowly falling for him since we he told me about his past after we recovered my brother. Hearing about everything that he's been through… It felt like it hurt me physically, every time a tear fell down his face. To me, the idea of a sad Robin feels so… Wrong. Does that make sense?"

Seth nodded. "I suppose. You certainly know his past better than I. And I believe I much prefer how Robin acted at the start of our adventures than a sad man."

"But it's not just that." Eirika continued. "He's been there for me and all of us since the start of this journey. He never believed that we couldn't succeed. He always believed that I could get stronger. When I felt nervous, he gave me confidence, when I felt weak, he gave me strength." Eirika smiled. "He's… Become so important to me, and when he left… I panicked. And then I found him, and he talked about killing himself, and I just… Snapped."

Seth said nothing in response. He knew that Eirika needed to talk about this, and the best that he could do was listen.

"But… Robin barely even know what love IS. How do I know if he'd even respond to my feelings?" Eirika lamented.

Seth was silent for a few moments, pondering what Eirika had told him. True, he had come out here to clear his own head, but Eirika, who was not only his liege, but his friend, was in more need than he was at the moment.

"I can tell you this, milady." Seth started, getting Eirika's attention. "Give him awhile longer. It will likely take him some time to come to terms with his feelings, if they exist. You must be patient with him, and I believe he will eventually fall for you."

Eirika frowned. "But Seth, how can you know that?" Eirika asked.

Seth smiled. "I have seen how he interacts with you. You are his closest and dearest friend within our group. He interacts with you far more frequently than with anyone else, even Joshua and his own sister. I truly believe it is only a matter of time." Seth explained.

Eirika was silent, thinking on Seth's words. "Thank you Seth." She said. "It won't be easy… But I'll wait."

Seth nodded, and stood up to move away. As he turned his back to the princess of Renais, Eirika spoke up.

"For what it's worth Seth, I'm pretty sure Natasha has had a crush on you since we met her. She stares at you with open admiration whenever you aren't looking." Eirika explained.

Seth froze. He turned his head over his shoulder and gave Eirika a smile and a nod, before he walked back towards the sleeping quarters.

* * *

Robin had a hand pressed against his temple. The information in the book was helpful towards building information on the Demon King, but it also held some worrying information.

The Demon King was only sealed in one of the Sacred Stones, which was Grado's. The others were simply backups to be used in case the Demon King ever managed to escape. Considering the fact that Myrrh said a dark energy was coming from Grado, the odds that the Demon King's power were starting to manifest were high. He was either in hiding until all the stones were destroyed, or needed to gather more power before he could fully manifest.

Robin sighed. That wasn't even the most worrying information. Apparently, one of the Demon King's greatest abilities was his powers over emotions. Allegedly, the Demon King could manipulate even the smallest of emotions in his enemies to be used to his advantage. A slight grudge against a friend for accidentally tripping you could lead to an intense argument, or even a duel to the death. It was a truly mortifying power.

However, it solidified one thing: the Demon King was most likely what was fighting for control of his body. He was likely trying to gain Grima's power for his own, but didn't expect both Grima and Robin to still be alive, even if it was barely. Grima then likely used his hold on life that the Demon King unknowingly provided to cling to life and create a new body, which resulted in Robin. However, since Grima and Robin were tied together, Robin's consciousness followed after Grima into the new body and eventually broke free of both the Demon King and Grima after the two tired each other out while fighting for control.

Of course, this was all just theory, but it was the most reasonable one Robin could think of. The Demon King was the only entity on Magvel that had both the motive and means to bring Robin and Grima back from the dead. However, that made Robin's situation much more dire. If the Demon King got ahold of Grima's power, the Demon King would become far too powerful to deal with.

Robin exhaled a large breath and closed the book. Allegedly, the Demon King could not be killed. If that were true, then they would need an intact Sacred Stone in order to contain it. However, Robin needed contingency plans. Both for if Grima escaped and if they needed to fight the Demon King. It would take him some time to figure out what to do in those situations, but Robin was fully convinced that he could come up with something that could work. Robin had yet to lose a fight, and he wasn't about to start now.

* * *

After bidding the village elder goodbye, the group marched onwards towards Jehanna. However, as they came to the edge of a small valley, they were approached by a Frelian messenger.

"Prince Innes!" The man exclaimed. "It is good to see you are alright milord. When the reinforcements arrived and you weren't there, we didn't know what to think."

Innes nodded. "Well, now you do." He said curtly. "Do you have any news for me?"

The messenger saluted. "Yes sir! Grado forces are already fighting in Jehanna, and the faction of Carcino previously under the employ of Councilman Pablo are approaching through the pass to Jehanna sir! They should be upon you in a matter of hours!"

Innes cursed. They were trapped between two opposing forces. They couldn't risk heading back up towards Caer Pelyn. It would take too long and it would endanger innocent lives.

"Do not fear my friends! Providence smiles upon us, for Rausten's cavalry forces will be here any moment now!" L'Arachel exclaimed.

Eirika raised a curious eyebrow at L'Arachel. "L'Arachel?" Eirika started. "Where did you hear that information?"

L'Arachel looked a little bit nervous at the question. "Um...The uh… Wind told me! Yes, that's it. The wind."

"The wind." Innes deadpanned. "We're basing our lives… On the words of the wind. Please forgive me for remaining skeptical."

Raven sighed. "It's not like we have any better options. We're going to be surrounded soon. We need to get to an area where we can funnel their forces. Tana told us that there's a good location up ahead, let's use that."

Robin nodded. "We'll need to engage the enemies on two fronts. Raven and I can each take one side and direct the battle individually."

Everyone nodded in agreement and started separating into two groups. No one noticed the wyvern rider watching them from a distance. This was Cormag, brother of the late General Glen. He had received the information of his death from an untrustworthy source a few days ago.

 _"BROTHER!" Cormag shouted, seeing his brother's corpse, bruised and completely drained of blood on a slab of stone. Cormag felt a hand on his shoulder._

 _"I found him like this… I only got there in time to watch the princess gut him. Oh, such a shame how he died… You'll have a hard time preparing that for a funeral!" Valter said, letting out a mad man's cackle._

 _"... Where is she." Cormag asked._

 _"Hmm? Where is who, Cormag?"_

 _"You know who. Where is Eirika?" Cormag asked, getting slightly more irritated. He needed to confirm whether or not Eirika actually had killed his brother. Glen had warned him of Valter and seemed to like Eirika quite a bit, so Cormag was weary of Valter's words._

 _"Oooh. So sorry Cormag, but I'm afraid without his majesty's consent-" Valter started, only to be cut off by Cormag._

 _"DON'T PLAY WITH ME!" Cormag shouted. "WHERE IS SHE?!"_

 _"...In the eastern Carcino mountains. It won't be easy to find her but…" Valter didn't get to finish his statement before Cormag flew off. Valter watched him fly for a few moments before an evil grin crossed his face._

 _"I've sent you a little gift princess. I trust you will handle it. You will be mine, but I must make sure that you are strong first… After all, I like the ones that fight back. Makes the victory even more satisfying." Valter said, giggling to himself maddeningly._

And now Cormag found himself here. He needed to approach now, before battle started. He was fairly certain that he would be mistaken for an enemy in the confusion of the battlefield if he waited, so he knew that his only chance to get answers was right now. He flew towards the group, holding up a white flag as he did so. As expected, the group still raised their weapons at him, though they did not fire.

As he landed, he heard the dark-haired man mutter "Well this seems familiar…"

Eirika then spoke up. "Greetings. Is there something you need?"

Cormag nodded. "Yes. I am Cormag, brother of Glen the Sunstone." This was it. Her reaction would be all that Cormag needed to find out whether or not Eirika had really killed his brother. He had a small throwing knife at his side, and he was confident that he could kill Eirika and avenge his brother should she really be the reason why he died.

However, Eirika merely raised an eyebrow. "Oh? And what did he find out?" Eirika asked.

"...What do you mean?" Cormag asked, genuinely confused. He could see that Eirika was being genuine. None of her friends had flinched or reached for their weapons when Cormag had introduced himself, so they obviously expected him to be friendly.

Now it was Eirika's turn to be confused. "General Glen told us that he needed answers from the emperor after talking to me. Did he get them?"

Cormag remained silent for a few moments. "No. Glen, my brother… He is dead now. I was told that it was you who performed the deed, but I was skeptical. Now I know that is false." Cormag informed them, getting some measure of surprise from the princess. "I am almost certain that my brother's killer is General Valter, the moonstone. I would have revenge on him, and my best way of ensuring that is by traveling with you. May I join your cause?" Cormag asked.

Eirika turned to Robin, who was rubbing his chin pensively. Seeing that Eirika was waiting for his opinion, he hummed thoughtfully before giving her a 'thumbs-up' gesture.

Eirika nodded. "Very well. We're about to head into combat, so this is as good a time as any to see what you're capable of. You will follow the orders of either myself, Innes, Robin, or Raven. Understood?" Cormag nodded, and was informed to take up position near Tana and Vanessa as part of their flying team.

* * *

Aias was having trouble. The princess' group was giving his soldiers a hard time. He was limited on how many he could send through the narrow mountain pass, and when he did, they were slaughtered almost immediately. He had tried to get a few fliers past, but they were mostly shot down. The few troops that managed to make it past the front lines and attempt to take out their tactician were swiftly cut down by Eirika herself, who seemed to be a remarkably talented fighter, but was focusing on protecting the tactician instead of fighting on the front lines.

This was a first for the commander. He had never been bested this thoroughly before. To make matters worse, the forces that should have been engaging the enemy from the rear seemed to be held back with the other half of the princess' forces. Two armies! Each being held back by a handful of soldiers! It was practically unheard of, but yet it was happening right before his very eyes. The only solace that Aias could take was that Caellach was handling the Rausten Knights-

But Aias' thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a horn being blown. Turning around, only one thought through his mind. _Caellach betrayed us._ He thought.

"Retreat!" Aias shouted, though it hurt him to do so. He was a very prideful commander, and under normal circumstances, Aias would fight until the last man in this situation, but Aias wanted revenge on Caellach for his betrayal. However, right after he sounded the retreat, a pink-haired myrmidon managed to finally break through his lines and charged right at the commander with frightening speed, dodging around the rest of his soldiers. Aias raised his weapon to try to block the incoming strike, only to feel a sharp stamp of pain in his chest. He looked down, and saw a sword poking through him from behind. Looking back up, the pink-haired woman was nowhere in sight. Aias looked behind himself, and noted that the woman had somehow gotten behind him, and was staring at her newest kill with cold eyes _._

 _How…?_ We're the final thoughts of Aias, commander of Grado.

* * *

Robin was silent at the feat he had just seen performed. He knew of only a handful of people who could move as fast as Marisa just had, and most of them used magic to enhance their speed in some way.

"Okay… I can see why you're terrified of her now." Robin commented to Joshua, who just mutely nodded before audibly gulping. Eirika simply looked at Marisa with determination. She would reach that speed someday, she promised herself.

At that moment, one of the soldiers of Rausten broke off from the rest of the group. By the looks of it, he was the leader of the brigade. "Princess L'Arachel!" He shouted, catching just about everyone's attention. "Knights of Rausten, 2nd Division, reporting in!"

Eirika raised an eyebrow in surprise at the new information. "Princess?" Eirika questioned.

L'Arachel just laughed nervously. "O-Oh? Princess? I believe you must be mistaken sir knight, you must have mistaken me for some other beautiful, intelligent, wonderful woman-" L'Arachel was cut off by Robin.

"Okay, show of hands: who already knew that L'Arachel was princess of Rausten?" He asked.

He, Seth, Innes, Lute, Tana, Dolza, Artur, Colm, Marisa, Gerik, Tethys, Saleh, and Raven all raised their hands.

L'Arachel gasped in surprise. "What?!" She exclaimed.

Innes pinched the bridge of his nose and let out a deep breath. "L'Arachel, we've met. MANY TIMES." He said with frustration. "I regularly visit countries across the gods-damned OCEAN. Did you really forget that I've visited Rausten?" Innes asked rhetorically. Tana tried to hold in her laughter but let out a small snort anyways.

"It was expected that I know the name of all the royalty on the continent." Robin explained, giving a knowing look at Joshua, whose eyes widened in shock. Marisa simply narrowed her eyes at Robin.

"I was more or less the same." Seth explained.

"Did you really think that your identity would escape my knowledge?" Lute asked rhetorically. "The only person who successfully did that was Robin, and that was only for so long."

"Lute told me." Artur explained.

"Knowing what all the blue-bloods look like tells me who not to rob from." Colm informed.

Marisa simply stayed quiet.

"We've done a few jobs for your folks." Gerik informed L'Arachel.

"We've met." Saleh said simply, not explaining anything more than that.

"Then why does Princess Eirika not know?!" L'Arachel demanded.

"Oh, that's because father was VERY protective of me. You'd never visited Renais, and Father only wanted me to visit Frelia and Grado as a child, since he got along with their rulers better." Eirika explained.

Robin turned to Raven. "Sis, how do YOU know L'Arachel?"

"Hm? Oh, that's because Marc's been courting her for quite some time now." Raven explained off-handedly.

Robin's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Really? How did that happen?"

Raven was about to explain when L'Arachel gasped in surprise and grabbed Raven's arm.

"Oh! You are Lady Raven! I did not know that you were Prince Marc's mother! You look so young! Come, we simply MUST talk." L'Arachel said, dragging Raven off in a random direction.

Everyone stood there silently, not entirely sure how to react to what just happened. The Rausten leader was the first to break the silence.

"So… Should we…" The man started.

Eirika sighed. "Why don't you just take a break. We'll wait for them to finish." The soldier bowed his head and walked back towards the rest of the battalion.

* * *

 **A/N:**

 **So, looks like it's going to be Robin/Azura next. That's probably going to be up either today or tomorrow most likely. I'm in the writing mood, which hopefully means that we'll get a few chapters up quickly.**

 **We're starting to hit the final stretch of this story, and we're almost at one of the scenes that I've been excited about for awhile.**

 **This is a thing that's really bugged me about Sacred Stones. NONE of the royalty of the continent know L'Arachel? Really? There's only five royal families, how do they not know one of them?**

 **Also, that L'Arachel-Marc thing was something that I came up with on the spot. I didn't know who to pair L'Arachel up with, and then I thought of this dialogue. That is all the thought that I have put towards this pairing.**


	17. Scorched Sand

"Lyon…" Eirika muttered, staring out across the valley that they were resting in. They had just been told that the Jehanna's capital was under siege by Grado's forces. Even with a grueling pace though, it would take at least a week to reach their destination. However, Eirika was more concerned with who was in command of Grado's forces in Jehanna though: her old friend, the Grado prince Lyon.

"That's the guy that you said I reminded you of on your birthday, right?" Robin asked, startling the princess, since she didn't know that Robin was there.

"Robin!" Eirika exclaimed. "Don't do that! You surprised me…"

Robin chuckled. "Sorry, I thought you would hear me. You looked bothered when Seth delivered the report about Jehanna, and I just wanted to make sure that you were okay."

Eirika gave Robin a small smile. "You saw that?" Eirika asked. At seeing Robin's nod, Eirika continued. "Yes, Lyon's the one I told you about… I can't imagine how he's feeling right now. Lyon looked up to his father, but… He also hated violence and pain. He wanted to create magic that healed people… And now he's leading an army against another country."

Robin nodded. "War can make people do things that they never imagined they would do. Lyon… Seems to be a victim of bad circumstances." He moved up next to Eirika, staring out onto the valley. "Tell me Eirika… What will you do if we have to fight him?"

Eirika stared at her feet. "I'm… Not sure. He was one of my best friends… I can't imagine having to fight him."

Robin looked at Eirika, and then stared back out into the distance. He took a deep breath and closed his eyes. "If we come across Lyon…" Robin started, gaining Eirika's attention. "You won't be the one to fight him."

Eirika looked at Robin in confusion. "Robin? What do you mean by that?"

Robin opened his eyes and gazed directly into Eirika's. "If we come across Lyon, and he fights us… I will fight him myself."

Eirika's eyes widened. "What?! But Robin, what about Grima?"

Robin shook his head. "I can bear it. Even with most of my magic locked away, I can still summon my weapons, but I'm going to burn through warp powder faster. Colm may have found some, but it's not going to last me long as I am now." Before Eirika could interrupt him, he held up a hand. "That being said, I am still the best fighter we have, so the odds that I can take out Lyon and keep him alive is higher than with anyone else. Grima is not a problem. He's trapped in a one-way curse system… He cannot affect his cage, and I am the only one outside of it who knows how to change the 'locks' as it were. Combat doesn't rush Grima's possession of my body, but it does make it harder for me to block out his voice."

Eirika looked thoughtful for a few moments. "Is it… Uncomfortable? To hear Grima's voice?"

Robin sighed. "No. There's no pain or discomfort for me… Because I can't tell when Grima's talking."

"What?"

"Grima and I are the same. His voice sounds so much like my own that I can't even

tell the difference between them in my head. It's gotten to the point where after a fight, I have to look back at my thoughts and pick apart the ones that seem… Especially negative. Those thoughts are usually Grima's." Robin explained.

Eirika's eyes softened. "So every time we fight, Grima can talk to you, and you don't even know if it's his words or yours?" Seeing Robin's nod, Eirika's expression only seemed to get more depressed. "Robin, if that's what happens to you, you shouldn't be near our fights!" She exclaimed.

Robin shook his head. "No. Just like you, I refuse to sit back and do nothing while others put their life on the line. I ran away from you all before because I wasn't sure if Grima's hold over me was strengthening when I was near a fight, but now I'm sure that it is safe. The reason why I don't fight our enemies myself is because I cannot kill them, and on a battlefield leaving an opponent alive gives them the chance to pretend to be dead and kill or injure one of us."

Robin gave Eirika a grin. "So don't worry about me, okay? I'm perfect for fighting Lyon, and I'll make sure that he'll be alright."

"...You don't have to do this Robin." Eirika said quietly.

"No. I don't." Robin said, as he maintained his smile. He put a hand on Eirika's shoulder to comfort the princess. "I'll make sure that you get your friend back, okay? Just trust me."

Eirika nodded, a small smile making its way onto her face. While she had never seen Robin in a fight, she had full confidence that he could bring Lyon back to his senses.

Robin then stretched his arms above his head. "Well, I've got to go find my sister. I need to find out this whole deal with L'Arachel. Find me if you need anything, okay? And feel free to sleep in my tent if you need to. I should be there soon."

"I might just do that." Eirika said, a faint blush appearing on her face. "Goodnight Robin."

"Goodnight Eirika." Robin said, sending a small wave in Eirika's direction.

Eirika waved back meekly. Once Robin was well out of view, she sighed. "Moments like that make it hard to be patient…" Eirika muttered to herself.

* * *

Robin had finally reached Raven's tent, and heard the sound of L'Arachel's voice coming from inside.

"Oh! And you simply MUST come visit Rausten someday! I'm sure-" L'Arachel started, before she noticed Robin coming through the tent flap. "Oh! Sir Robin!"

"Hello Lady L'Arachel, would you mind if I talked to my sister for a while?" Robin asked.

"Oh, I suppose so." L'Arachel said, slightly disappointed. "I look forward to our next chat, your majesty." L'Arachel said to Raven.

After L'Arachel left, Robin took in his sister's appearance and let out a short laugh. His sister looked dead tired. Her hair was slightly frazzled and her eyelids were drooping ever so slightly.

"Thank you for that." Raven said tiredly. "She wouldn't stop talking for the past six hours. The only times she stopped were when she expected me to answer her questions."

Robin let out a chuckle. "Well, don't collapse just yet, I wanted to hear about Marc's relationship with Rausten's princess."

Raven groaned in exasperation. However, an idea suddenly came to mind and she sat up straight in an instant. "Okay, but I'll want you to answer a question of my own after, okay?"

Robin nodded. "Sure thing sis."

"Alright, where to start… Well, apparently it happened while I was still dead." It was bizarre to both of them how they could both talk about their time being dead so casually. "Ylisse apparently started hosting an event to celebrate the defeat of Grima, and Rausten was one of the few countries that went. Marc met L'Arachel at one of these, and apparently they started seeing each other soon afterwards."

"From what they've both told me, they mostly communicate through letters, but Marc is apparently planning on moving to Rausten if their relationship starts becoming serious." Raven explained.

"Huh. I can see why they'd get along well. He's always been… Lively and eccentric. He probably found L'Arachel interesting." Robin mused.

Raven smiled. "I see you're getting the hang of romance. Has your time here in Magvel helped at all?"

Robin sighed and shook his head. "Not really. All I know is that when two people spend a lot of time together, they are likely to develop romantic feelings for each other, but I have no idea why."

"No one really does Robin." Raven explained, making Robin's eyes widen. "Look, actual love is something that can't really be predicted. Sometimes, two people who have everything in common with each other stay friends. Sometimes people who absolutely despise each other develop a relationship. Sometimes, two people who have known each other for their entire lives aren't good fits for each other."

Robin rubbed his temples. "Great. Thanks sis. You just confused me even more."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Not my fault 'dear old dad' never exposed you to any of this stuff."

Robin gave a small 'huff'. "I like to think that I've been doing just fine without that knowledge, thank you very much."

"You're never going to let anyone forget the fact that you killed a god, are you?" Raven asked rhetorically.

"Hell no. Would you?" Robin asked.

Raven shrugged. "Guess not. Anyways, can I ask my question? It kind of has to do with what we're talking about."

"Sure, go ahead." Robin replied.

"Alright, here goes…" Raven muttered. "What is Eirika to you?"

Robin looked confused. "Huh? What do you mean?" He asked.

"I mean, what are your feelings towards Eirika?" Raven clarified.

Robin scratched his head. "Well, she's my closest friend, and I know that she trusts me without question, which means a lot to me."

Raven sighed. "Robin, I asked you what your feelings towards Eirika were, not how close you two are. How about this: describe Eirika to me, personality and appearance, in your own words."

Robin raised an eyebrow at his sister's question. "Well… Okay then." He silently composed his thoughts, before he opened his mouth. "Eirika… She is an incredible person. She is kind and loyal. She is strong physically and mentally. She puts the wellbeing of everyone else above her own." Robin paused. "She is the most beautiful person I've ever had the pleasure of meeting, both on the inside and outside, and I would do anything to keep her safe and happy. Her smile is something that makes me feel like everything is alright in the world."

Raven smiled. She already was pretty sure that Eirika had feelings for her brother, and now she knew that Robin clearly felt the same. He just didn't know it yet.

"Robin." Raven said, snapping Robin out of his thoughts. "You are in love with Eirika."

"...What?" Was Robin's eloquent reply.

"The way you just described Eirika was not how a friend would describe another friend. You have feelings for the princess of Renais." Raven explained.

Robin's entire thought process froze. Did he love Eirika? He tried to think of how he felt when he was near his closest friend. It was certainly possible, but he had absolutely no idea.

"Robin? Are you okay?" Raven asked her brother.

Robin looked at Raven with panic evident in his eyes. They then lit up: he had an idea. "Raven… How do you feel when you're around Chrom?" He asked.

Raven smiled, having a feeling that she knew what her brother was getting at. "I feel… Content. I feel like I'm complete, like I found my second half. Back before I was in a relationship with him, I felt a warmth in my chest every time I talked to him, and I would find myself getting nervous when I talked to him when it was just the two of us."

Robin stayed silent for a while, and Raven patiently waited for him. She knew that her brother was deep in thoughts. Even though Raven was almost certain that Robin was in love with Eirika, she still needed him to realize that himself.

"I… Don't know." Robin admitted. "I do feel a… Warmth in my chest like you mentioned, but…" He drifted off. He then remembered that he had thought about this particular idea back when he rejoined with the rest of the group. "Even if I did… She's too good for me. I mean, she rejected SETH! You know, Sir Frederick the Second? How can I compare to that?"

Raven smirked at her brother. "I wouldn't be too sure about that brother… I've seen the way that she acts whenever you're brought up. She's VERY protective of you, from what I heard, she defended you even before she knew who you really were. When I first met with her, she was desperate to find out where you were, even more than I was. If she hasn't fallen for you yet, I'm sure it's just a matter of time."

Robin's response was silence. He didn't know how to respond to the information that Raven was telling him. Romance wasn't something that Robin thought about regularly. He assumed that since he hadn't felt any romantic feelings towards anyone back in Ylisse, he would never feel that way towards anyone. But Eirika wasn't just anyone to Robin…

He sighed. "I… Need some time to think about this." Robin explained. "I'll think about what you've told me, but… It's not going to be easy for me."

Raven smiled at her brother. "Take your time. I just wanted to help you. I know that you probably wouldn't ever seriously think about your feelings without some help, and so I decided to help you."

Robin simply nodded his thanks to his sister. "Goodnight." He said, exiting her tent.

Raven fell asleep with a smile on her face, happy that she could help bring some form of happiness into her brother's life.

Robin however, was rubbing his face with both of his hands, utterly confused by the situation that he now found himself in.

 _I suppose… It's not completely out of the question that I could… love… Eirika. She's given me her trust pretty much since I first met her, and never wavered… I've never had someone else trust me like that before… I suppose I was naturally drawn to her after that…_ Robin thought to himself.

He sighed. He needed to rest. They needed to reach Jehanna soon, and Robin would need to be at his absolute best in case Lyon was actually there. After all, he didn't need to make Eirika go through the pain of fighting her best friend.

* * *

Joshua sighed. He had been in an anxious mood ever since he had heard that Jehanna was under siege. It had been a few days then, and the group was about to enter the capital of the desert kingdom any moment. He was nervous about the state of his home when he arrived, but more importantly, he feared for his mother, the current queen.

He had told no one in the army about his status as royalty, though Robin obviously knew. For how long, Joshua didn't know, but evidentially his friend was giving him room to tell Robin on his own terms, which Joshua was grateful for. He left home specifically so that people would stop treating him like a prince, and even though everyone in the army treated each other equally, there was no denying that people in the army treated the royals differently.

He was snapped out of his thoughts when he felt someone squeeze his hand. He looked and saw that it was Marisa. Joshua gave his childhood friend a soft smile in thanks. Joshua knew that Marisa had a hard time expressing her emotions, so it was not common for her to do something like this.

In all honesty, Joshua was pretty sure that Marisa had a crush on him as a child, but Joshua couldn't bring himself to force Marisa to choose between himself and her life in the palace. Because she was a close friend of Joshua's and the daughter of Joshua's instructor and head guard, Marisa was basically treated like royalty herself. And while Joshua felt like he could choose whether or not he would be treated like a prince, he didn't feel like it would be right to choose that for Marisa.

Evidentially that was not the best choice, but Marisa seemed to forgive him. They had talked a small amount since then, and Marisa, while a little colder than she used to be, was still the same friend that he knew.

"She will be fine. You know that your mother is one of the best fighters in the land." Marisa said, trying to console Joshua.

Joshua nodded. "I know… I just have this… Feeling. Like something's terribly wrong."

Marisa nodded her head. "I know… If it helps… I don't know what I'll say when I see my father."

Joshua chuckled. "I'm kind of in the same boat here. I'm pretty sure my mother might slap me when I walk into the palace."

Marisa gave a small smirk at that. She could certainly see Joshua's mother doing just that. She had been distraught when Joshua had left, and her emotions would likely be all over the place when she saw that he was back.

Marisa frowned, remembering something that she had wanted to talk about with Joshua for a few days now.

"Your friend, the tactician… He is dangerous." Marisa said.

Joshua sighed. "How so?" Joshua asked, though he felt like he already knew what Marisa was going to say.

"He is the host of an dark god that could escape any day now, and knows that you are royalty. His mind is like a steel trap, and I fear what would happen if he turned against us." Marisa said, her voice somehow more serious than it normally was.

Joshua shook his head. "Look Marisa, I know that you want to protect me, but Robin is my friend, and that's not going to change. Besides, there's nothing we can do about it right now: the closest dockyard that could carry Robin to Ylisse would be in Rausten. You know this, we've talked about it before. So tell me:" Joshua said, looking directly at Marisa. "What's the real reason why he scares you?"

Marisa was silent for a few moments before she finally swallowed her pride. "I… Fought him before. You know this." When Joshua nodded, Marisa continued. "He was not fighting me at his best. I could tell by his movements. He was rusty. Out of practice." She paused. "And yet… He still went easy on me. And almost won."

Joshua's eyes widened. Was Marisa… Scared of Robin? "Marisa, what are you saying?"

"I do not fear that I may die, Joshua." Marisa explained. "I fear I will be unable to protect you. Robin is almost too much for me when he is out of practice and has no magic… How powerful would he be when Grima possesses him?"

Joshua had no answer to Marisa's question. He knew that Robin was powerful. He had heard tales of what had happened in Ylisse, and Robin's reputation as the 'warmaster' was apparently not exaggerated much. Robin himself claimed that he had only ever lost to one person in single combat, and that was all without Grima. Could anyone stop him if Grima possessed the tactician?

Joshua shook his head at those thoughts. It didn't matter. Joshua was going to help Eirika figure out how to avoid getting Robin killed, no matter what. This was just Marisa being paranoid, like always. Even though Marisa had been his best friend as a child, she naturally acted more like a servant to Joshua than a friend at times. She most definitely valued Joshua's life above her own, and could act rather strange at times.

Joshua was snapped out of his thoughts however, as the palace of Jehanna came into view over the horizon and Innes addressed their group.

"Alright everyone. Our forward scouts have told us that the palace was breached only a few minutes ago. Most of the forces have pulled out to take over the rest of the capital city. If we're fast, we should be able to catch the Grado forces inside of the palace by surprise and get out with the sacred stone and any survivors before they realize what's happening." Innes explained.

Joshua paled when he was told that the palace had been breached, and instinctively held Marisa's hand harder. To her credit, Marisa didn't even flinch when Joshua clenched down on her hand painfully. She too was nervous about what they might find when they entered the palace's interior. She knew that the palace itself was a nigh-impenetrable fortress. Either they were facing exceptionally strong foes, or…

Before Marisa could finish that line of thought, Innes continued. "We have a rough map of the interior of the castle. Because we're going to be fighting in enclosed spaces, we're going to split our forces. One will charge the throne room and attempt to make contact with the queen, while the other will head to the treasury to find out if the sacred stone is there. Go over to Robin to get your assignments."

Eventually Joshua and Marisa reached where Robin was. The tactician had been acting strange recently, and while Joshua knew that he should help his friend, he was in not in the right state of mind to do so. Robin noticed Joshua and Marisa approaching him.

"I've got you two placed on the strike team into the throne room… You'll be put at the very front of our lines… Are you both comfortable with that?" Robin asked.

Joshua hesitated. He wasn't sure if he could face his mother just yet, but he knew that today was the day that he returned home, and he would have to confront the woman eventually. He nodded slowly at Robin, not saying a word. Robin simply nodded in response, and turned to the next group.

* * *

Eventually, Joshua found himself in the main hallway of his home. He felt nostalgic being there again, but knew that he had to focus on the fighting. Unfortunately, Joshua couldn't help but shake the feeling that something was very, very wrong… It unnerved him so much that he started fighting even more aggressively than was normal. Marisa noticed and focused solely on defending Joshua as he pressed forwards faster than what would be considered safe. Raven, who was in charge of the push to the throne room, tried to order the two to fall back, but Joshua didn't seem to listen. He pressed forwards with Marisa at his side, ruthlessly cutting down anyone who stood in his way. The two were soon separated from the rest of their group by a wall of Grado soldiers, but that didn't stop Joshua.

The duo quickly found themselves in the throne room, but they didn't find who they were expecting.

"Carlyle…" Joshua said in shock.

"Father…" Marisa muttered.

"Prince Joshua?! What are you doing here?!" Carlyle exclaimed, concerned that the prince would ruin his dreams of being with Queen Ismaire. Marisa clenched her fists tightly at being ignored by her own father.

"I've come home Carlyle. Where is mother?" He asked.

Carlyle was silent. "It doesn't matter… By the time the day is over, I'll be with her… And there's nothing either of you can do to stop me!" Carlyle shouted.

Both Joshua and Marisa saw that the man had clearly snapped. There was a look of madness in his eyes that neither of them could ignore. Joshua turned to Marisa.

"Marisa. Guard the entrance. We can't let the enemy attack us from behind. I'll take care of Carlyle."

Marisa frowned. "No." She said. "I will finally prove that I have surpassed my father. I will do this."

Joshua shook his head. "No Marisa. No matter how much of an ass he's been-" Joshua started, getting a glare from the swordmaster. "He's still your dad. I don't want you to have to kill him."

Marisa still looked hesitant at Joshua's suggestion, so Joshua continued. "Look, we don't have much time, okay? Please… Let me do this."

Marisa knew that Joshua was desperate to see his mother, and was likely to jump in and help Marisa if she refused, leaving them wide open to an attack from the Grado forces in the castle. Logically speaking, Marisa knew that Joshua should fight her father.

Of course, that was just logically speaking…

"Of course my Prince." Marisa said coldly. "Whatever you command." She said as she turned towards the only entrance.

Joshua flinched at Marisa's cold words, but unsheathed his sword anyways. Hearing his childhood friend addressing him so coldly hurt more than having a sword shoved into his gut, but he knew that this was the right thing to do. He faced his former mentor and assumed his stance.

"You'd better hope that you've improved boy. You'll find I'm not easy to kill." Carlyle taunted.

Joshua chuckled. "Funny. I was going to say the same thing." He said, rushing towards the traitor.

* * *

Meanwhile, Robin and Eirika had reached the throne room, thanks to a new addition to their forces - who may or may not have been strong armed into service by L'Arachel's strange behavior - Rennac the "world class thief".

Suddenly, Seth arrived on the scene, his horse traveling as fast as it could while indoors. "Your highness!" He shouted, gathering everyone's attention. "Joshua and Marisa have separated from the rest of the group and are likely already in the throne room! We need your help to reinforce their position!"

"What?!" Eirika shouted. "Why would they do that?" Eirika wondered. Robin simply stayed silent, already having a good idea as to why. "Never mind. We can fall back to the treasury later. Everyone, follow Seth!" Eirika ordered.

As everyone ran off, Eirika noted that Robin was staggering behind. Before Eirika could ask Robin what was wrong, he keeled over in pain, holding onto his head.

"Robin!" Eirika shouted out in concern, rushing over to help her friend. She looked over to see if there were any healers around, but she noticed that everyone else had already rounded a corner. She started rummaging through her pouch for a vulnerary, but before she could find some, she was blinded by a flash of light. Eirika shielded her eyes from whatever it was that made the light. When she eventually lowered her hands, Eirika saw a man in a flowing purple sorcerer's robe with golden inlays. He had light purple hair that fell to his neck, and looked into the distance as if deeply lost in thought.

"Lyon!" Eirika exclaimed, immediately recognizing her long-time friend. She momentarily forgot about Robin, so shocked was she by Lyon's sudden appearance.

Lyon's wide eyes seemed to show that Lyon was almost more shocked to see Eirika than he was to see him. "...Eirika…?" Lyon asked. Eirika nodded her head with a smile on her face, and Lyon quickly turned around to try to run away.

"Wait! Lyon!" Eirika shouted out somehow actually working and getting Lyon to stop. "Please Lyon… Why is this all happening? Ephraim and I know that you would never want this… Has your father gone mad?"

Lyon looked at Eirika with a saddened expression. "I'm sorry Eirika… I know that you and your brother must have been worried about me. I wanted to see you… to apologize… But I cannot talk to either of you. Not yet."

"But… You're doing this for a reason, right?" Eirika asked, desperate to know that her friend was still the gentle spirit that she remembered.

"Yes. Someday I'll tell you everything Eirika, but right now…" Lyon drifted off.

"I understand. I am relieved to know that even though we are on opposite sides, you are still the same as always."

Lyon's eyes briefly darted over to Robin's hunched over form, and his eyes flashed an expression that Eirika couldn't read. He looked back to Eirika, and gave her a strange smile. "Ah, but you have, haven't you?" Seeing Eirika's confused expression, Lyon elaborated. "You are so much more beautiful than I remember…"

Eirika's eyes widened in shock. "Lyon?!" She exclaimed.

"I apologize princess, I must go. This war started because I wasn't strong enough to stop it… But know that I will always care for you." He finished, before vanishing in a bright light.

Eirika stared off into empty space for a few more moments before Robin let out a groan, bringing her back to reality. "Robin!" She exclaimed.

Robin was slowly getting up. The pain that he had felt had finally stopped, and he got up. "So that was Lyon, eh? Sorry that I missed him. I'll be sure to introduce myself next time."

"Robin, I am SO sorry! Lyon surprised me so much-" Eirika started, before Robin cut her off.

"No problem Eirika, I understand." Robin said. "Let's get going to the throne room. They're going to need our help." He said, before he started running towards the throne room, having memorized the maps of the palace before the group had attempted their assault. Eirika followed behind him.

"Did you hear all of that?" Eirika asked.

"Just about. Sounds like your friend's fine. I was honestly worried that you'd have to fight him for a while." Robin replied.

Eirika nodded in response. After a few minutes of running, the duo reached the area just outside of the throne room.

"Good to see you finally decided to show up." Raven deadpanned while blasting a Grado soldier with a blast of arcthunder. "We're just about through, but if the two of you could break through and help out Joshua and Marisa, that might make things go a little faster."

Eirika nodded. She held her rapier out in front of her and dashed into the fray in front of her. Robin followed closely behind, dodging occasional strikes in his direction. Thanks to Eirika, the two soon found themselves directly outside of the throne room, watching Marisa hold off three soldiers at the same time. She looked utterly exhausted. Eirika quickly took her place while Robin rushed into the throne room.

He arrived just in time to watch Joshua get knocked to the ground by another swordsman. Both Joshua and his foe were covered in various cuts and scrapes, and looked completely spent, likely from having fought an intense fight for several minutes. As the man pointed his sword at Joshua's neck, Robin felt like he needed to intervene.

"Joshua!" Robin shouted, attracting the attention of both of the duelers. "Cheat!"

Joshua looked momentarily confused, but then grinned when he realized what Robin was saying. Before Carlyle could question what was happening, Joshua swiftly kicked upwards as hard as he could. Carlyle, having stood directly above Joshua, froze in pain, as he had just been kicked in the crotch. Hard. Keeling over in pain, Carlyle dropped his sword, so surprised was he by Joshua's move. Joshua had been fighting a fairly standard duel up to that point. Joshua had forgotten what had made him a truly great swordfighter: his completely unorthodox method of fighting. He had tried to beat Carlyle with Carlyle's own style, but was outmatched. Robin simply reminded him why he was as good as he was.

Taking advantage of the opening, Joshua swiftly stood up with his sword and sliced Carlyle diagonally across his chest, deep enough to be a killing blow. Carlyle's eyes widened in shock.

"Ismaire…" He breathed out. Joshua wrinkled his nose in disgust at how the man's last words were of his mother rather than Marisa, who was Carlyle's own daughter.

Marisa, who had been hobbling over to Joshua's location, spoke up. "He was a horrible father." She stated coldly. Eirika's eyes widened at the explanation while Joshua and Robin only nodded.

"Agreed. Let's go get you two healed up, and then we'll search for the queen. We might run into more enemies, and we'll need both of you in top shape." The Jehanna duo looked at each other and reluctantly nodded.

They were quick with their healing however, opting to only be healed as long as absolutely necessary to move around in top form. They were understandably anxious to see the queen, as they both had a feeling that she might be in some form of danger.

They sprinted through the hallways, and eventually came across a room where L'Arachel, Raven, Robin, Eirika, and Innes all were. A familiar voice was coming from the room, but it was very obviously strained.

"Joshua…" The voice whispered out. "I was such a horrible mother… Too busy queen to… Show you how much I loved you…"

Joshua's heart sank as he entered the doorway of the room and saw his mother, Queen Ismaire, bleeding out on the ground. Tears started running down his face as he kneeled next to the woman that he had not seen in ten years.

"I know mother." Joshua responded softly.

"Joshua… Is it really you?" Ismaire asked incredulously.

"Yes mother… I'm… So sorry. If I'd been here… Then Carlyle-" Joshua started.

"It… Was not your fault… My son." Ismaire said painfully. "Joshua… You must know… The sacred stone was destroyed, by the same one… Who tempted Carlyle."

"Who? Who was it?" Joshua asked, fully intent on getting revenge on whoever it was that caused his mother's death.

"Carried a… Dark stone… The source of… All of this. Son… Please. Protect our people and country."

"I will." Joshua promised, barely holding back a sob.

"Here… Take these. May they… Help you in your journey." Ismaire said, shakily handing Joshua her sword as well as a wind tome. Joshua took them hesitantly. As he took the Sacred Twins of Jehanna, he felt his mother press something else into his hands. Looking down, Joshua saw his mother's wedding ring in his hand.

"Use that… At the right time… For the right reasons… For the right people…" Ismaire said, smiling serenely. She looked directly at Marisa, and her smile only intensified. Joshua had a feeling that his mother wasn't talking about the Sacred Twins at the moment.

"Joshua… My dear child… Find happiness… Please.." Were Ismaire's last words as she finally left the land of the living.

Everyone in the room stared at Joshua as he held his mother's body close to his chest and let tears fall down his face. He was silent for some time before he eventually spoke up.

"...It's been ten years." Joshua started, his voice nothing more than a hoarse whisper. "I… Didn't want to be treated like a prince anymore… So I left. I wanted to see the world, like everyone else. Not like a prince… I knew I'd return… But I just didn't know how."

He looked up at Robin, his eyes moist from the tears. "Please… Could I have a moment?" Joshua asked his friend.

As Robin was about to reply however, Seth came running into the room.

"The castle is on fire!" He yelled.

"What?!" Was the startled reaction of everyone in the room.

"The soldiers - they doused the curtains in oil before they left! Something just lit them all up!" Seth exclaimed. "We have to evacuate!"

Wasting no time, Robin grabbed Joshua's arm and pulled him to his feet, helping him carry his mother out of the palace. The group soon found their way through the smoke-filled hallways and found themselves in the desert outside.

"Prepare for an ambush." Raven said the moment they stepped outside. "That's the only reason I can come up with for them burning down the castle."

* * *

Everyone was already exhausted from a hard day of traveling, and then fighting through the palace, and added onto that the grueling heat of the desert, most were barely in any condition to stand, let alone fight. However, they were all determined to give their best efforts, and so put on brave faces.

Tana and Vanessa soon landed. They were the only two who had not participated in the fight within the castle, as the narrow hallways limited the movements of their pegasi. Instead the flying duo had been scouting out the area, checking for any potential ambushes.

Like the one that was about to hit them.

"Brother, Eirika! We've got incoming!" Tana announced.

"How bad?" Robin asked.

"Two armies! Led by General Valter and General Caellach!" Tana exclaimed.

"Nowhere to hole up… Can't run… Guess we'll just have to hold them off as long as we can." Raven admitted, sounding fairly depressed.

"There's good news though." Vanessa added, lightening everyone's moods. "I spotted Prince Ephraim's army to the south. If we hold out for long enough, they should be able to meet up with us and help us fend off the Grado forces."

Robin nodded his head. "Sounds like a plan. Alright people, defensive positions!" Robin shouted. "Get ready to dig in! This one will be as tough as it gets!"

Getting a round of nods in response, Eirika moved towards the front line, sending a small glance at Robin, before turning towards the enemy forces.

* * *

Meanwhile, Joshua's mind was working in overtime. Caellach… He thought to himself. Worked as a mercenary. Hates Jehanna. Obsessed with power. General for Grado. There was very little question in Joshua's mind that Caellach had killed his mother. Joshua knew that Caellach would be difficult to defeat, but Joshua knew that he could do it.

* * *

The fight had been raging on for quite some time now. Eirika had been near the front lines the entire time, easily dealing with a majority of her foes. However, she soon found herself being corralled away from the rest of her allies. Before she could make her way back to them however, she heard the familiar sound of a wyvern's wings beating against the wind. A familiar-looking mop of blue hair flew towards the princess on the back of a wyvern.

"Ah, my lovely princess. It is so good to see you again." Valter said, attempting to be smooth.

"Excuse me, but who are you again?" Eirika asked, not remembering the man.

"You wound me, my sweet! I would have thought that I had made quite the impression on you when we last met in Renais, after the death of your late father!"

Eirika's eyes widened in realization. "General Valter, the moonstone?" She asked in shock.

The man gave a feral grin towards the princess. "But of course my dear! Oh, I have been so eagerly awaiting this moment… You are strong, and for that you will be mine."

Eirika wrinkled her nose in disgust of the man. "I don't really think that's going to happen."

Valter's grin somehow grew even wilder at that. "Oh, I was hoping you'd say that… It's so much more fun when I have to break them first…" He said, chuckling darkly.

Eirika readied her weapon, but she wasn't sure if she could hold off Valter for long. Currently the princess was just waiting for someone to reunite with her so that they could finish off the mad general together.

However, Valter quickly dismantled that idea by quickly striking at Eirika with the blunt end of his spear and flew away. Eirika, being completely exhausted after the grueling march and two battles, did not have the energy to leap away in time, and was struck in the chest by Valter's attack.

Eirika quickly realized that she was in a very unfavorable circumstance. Her entire means of countering lance-wielders involved getting in too close for them to effectively attack. However, Valter was the perfect counter to that. His style seemed to be focused around getting off one or two good, hard strikes before flying off. His hit-and-run style was too fast for Eirika to effectively counter when she was already completely burned out.

However, she was snapped out of her thoughts as a flash of light appeared in front of her and Raven appeared, firing off a few quick spells. Valter managed to skillfully dodge around the tactician's attacks, and started grinning wildly yet again.

"Well, what do we have hear? Two strong women? You seem like you'd make a good appetizer before I move on to the main course." Valter's smile made Eirika think that the madman might not be using an expression when he was referring to the two women as food.

However, much to Valter and Eirika's confusion, Raven simply continued to smirk. "Oh, you've messed up now." Raven warned.

"Oh really?" Valter asked. "And how did I 'mess up', my sweet? What are you going to do about it?" He asked curiously, hovering a few dozen feet in the air above ground level, patiently awaiting the reply.

Raven chuckled. "Well… Firstly, you threatened both me and Eirika while my brother is around…" Raven started. "And secondly, who said I'd have to do anything?"

Before Valter could voice his confusion, he felt a powerful grip around his neck, blocking the air passageways in his throat. His and Eirika's eyes widened in surprise.

"Normally I'd kill a man for saying what you just said." Came a calm voice from behind Valter.

"But this will have to do." Robin said, raising Valter up higher into the air, before throwing Valter down towards the ground at full force.

"Don't worry!" Robin shouted down at the general, who was screaming as he fell. "You'll live!" He said, pulling back the reigns on dragon, preventing it from flying down to save its master.

Robin grabbed a handful of warp powder that he had received from Colm and appeared next to Valter's broken form. Valter's arms and legs were bent at unnatural angles and Valter himself had a small stream of blood leaking out of his mouth.

"Heh… Here to finish me off?" The man asked.

Robin shook his head. "No. Not my kill to take. Cormag!" Robin yelled out, prompting the wyvern rider to land next to the tactician. Before Cormag could question Robin, his eyes fell onto Valter's form. Cormag smiled darkly, and looked at Robin as if to ask for permission. Upon seeing Robin's nod, Cormag dismounted his wyvern and stalked over to the target of his vengeance.

Leaving Cormag to his own devices, Robin reached Eirika just before the princess collapsed of exhaustion. "Alright Eirika, let's get you some rest."

Eirika simply nodded into Robin's shoulder. She didn't like the fact that Robin had now saved Eirika not once, but twice, but she was too tired to think on it any longer.

 **A/N:**

 **Got a lot to say this chapter, so let's get started. First of all, I know that my fighting scenes suck; that's why I mostly avoid them.**

 **Second, I'm happy to say that we've almost hit a goal of mine, which is to surpass the fanfic 'tactics of the stones' in terms of followers. The King's Tactician has hit the 130 mark, and Tactics is sitting comfortably in the high 140s. I didn't think that I would ever even get this close, but if I actually surpass it, then I'll be really happy. As some of you probably can tell, it was one of the inspirations for this fanfic, and pretty soon I'll be passing the point where tactics had stopped.**

 **Third, regarding all the people who are waiting for Eirika and Robit to confess: stay patient. There's not going to be much about Robin/Eirika's relation in the near future. That stuff will probably be in its own mini-series where I write fluff n' stuff, but I haven't figured it out yet.**

 **Finally, regarding my Robin/Azura fic and the odds of me starting to write another fanfic: the Robin/Azura fic has been out for a while now, it's called Dreams and Revelations. I thought I did okay with it, but I might do some oneshots in that world later on. I also have an idea for a pretty weird story that I like. Haven't decided the main pairing, but it will be a fire emblem fanfic, and I can say with the utmost confidence that it's an idea that hasn't been written about before. Stay tuned in the upcoming weeks, you might just see it.**

 **Also, I've always hated Valter and his rape-y attitude, so I gave him the most anticlimactic death I could think of outside of Robin literally teleporting behind him and stabbing him through the chest.**

 **I might be rushing things a little bit, but that's what happens when you make a fanfic about fire emblem and then proceed to skip over most of the combat parts.**


	18. Ruled by Madness

Joshua was running through the desert like a man possessed. He left quite the trail in his wake: the sand behind him was red with blood, and the corpses of dozens of Grado soldiers littered the ground. The smarter Grado soldiers simply got out of Joshua's way, for it was very obvious where the vengeful man was going. Caellach was watching Joshua wade through his soldiers.

The Grado general smiled. Joshua was an old mercenary comrade of his. When Caellach found out that Joshua was actually the prince, he had been angry that the gambler had held out on him. This was his way at getting back at the man.

Caellach was confident that he could beat Joshua, especially if they fought one-on-one. Joshua had rarely managed to beat Caellach when the two used to spar, and Caellach had only gotten stronger. Joshua had been weakened by the events of the day, and there was no doubt in Caellach's mind that Joshua was fighting towards his death. Once Joshua was dead, that would mark the official end of Jehanna's royal family, making his rule of the country even easier.

Joshua had finally reached Caellach's position and glared hatefully at the man.

"Caellach." Joshua spat hatefully.

"Joshua! So good to see you again! Why, I had just been thinking about how long it's been! But tell me old friend, what are you doing here in Jehanna?" Caellach replied with a sinister grin.

"No games Caellach." Joshua ground out.

"But Joshua, you were always so good at games, weren't you? Where'd that love go?"

Joshua's snarl intensified, as he sheathed his normal curved killing edge and reached behind his back. In one swift motion, Joshua pulled out Audhulma, the sacred sword of Jehanna that his mother had given him only moments prior.

Caellach smacked his forehead. "I KNEW there was something I forgot! Thank you so much for reminding me Joshua…" Caellach started, before unsheathing his own killing edge. "I'll be sure to take good care of it for you."

And on that note, the two sped towards each other. Sand started flying around the area as the two expert swordfighters engaged each other at ridiculous speeds, obscuring the vision of anyone who was trying to watch.

Joshua started off extremely aggressively, obviously trying to kill Caellach as quickly as possible. Unfortunately, Joshua had almost completely given into his anger, and his sword swings were swift but predictable, as a red haze clouded his mind.

Caellach was only encouraging Joshua's behavior, as he held his vicious smirk the entire time the two dueled. He didn't even need to strike at Joshua: he knew that Joshua had expended far more energy this day that he had, and so Caellach stuck on the defensive, only blocking Joshua's admittedly powerful blows.

However, the moment Joshua's exhaustion became too much, Caellach capitalized. When Joshua started to strike with a much weaker strike, Caellach struck out at Joshua's sword with as much power as possible, knocking the blade out of Joshua's hand. Caellach followed up with a quick slash across Joshua's chest and kicked him to the ground.

Joshua suddenly found himself helpless with Caellach's blade pointed at his throat. He glared hatefully at his mother's killer.

"You know Josh, if you hadn't been so mad… You might have managed to cause me to actually try." The general smirked down at Joshua. "You're normally pretty good but… It looks like today just wasn't your lucky day old pal."

Joshua didn't reply, simply maintained his glare and gritting his teeth. Caellach twitched his sword and slashed Joshua's neck with his sword.

Or at least, he tried. However, for some reason, his arm wasn't following his commands. Then he noticed that Joshua's eyes widened comically large. Caellach looked down at his shoulder, which he just noticed was searing in pain. When he saw his shoulder, he first saw the blood. Then he saw that it was no longer attached to the rest of his arm.

Eyes wide, Caellach opened his mouth to scream in pain, only to feel another sharp pain on his neck, before his head was separated from his body and he knew no more.

Joshua stared wide-eyed as Caellach's limp body collapsed besides him, revealing a familiar form behind the now-dead mercenary. Marisa stood above Joshua with narrowed eyes and a blood-coated sword resting at her side. She stared at Joshua in silence for a few more moments before holding out her hand for the prince to grasp.

Joshua grabbed Marisa's hand and accepted her help in standing up. He winced as he stood, for the strike to his chest was finally starting to hurt.

"We need to get you to a healer." Marisa said with a grimace.

Joshua nodded. "Yeah. We need to pick up Audhulma first though." Joshua replied.

Marisa turned her frustrated gaze towards Joshua, who flinched in response. However, Marisa did not dispute Joshua's decision, and walked with him towards where Caellach had sent one of the sacred twins of Jehanna.

As the two walked back to where the others were holding their position, Marisa spoke up.

"I always suspected that my father killed my mother." Marisa said, startling Joshua.

"What?!"

"He claimed that he killed my mother when he caught her having an affair with a servant of the castle. He killed both of them in rage." Marisa explained. "But when I found out that he was in love with the Queen, I started wondering if that was what really happened, especially since my mother died so soon after the King died."

Joshua remained silent.

"My point is that I set aside my revenge for the sake of victory, but it hurt that you didn't do the same."

"...I'm sorry." Joshua whispered.

"We both lost almost everything today… If I had lost you as well… What would I do? Where would I go? I don't fight for princess Eirika or Jehanna, I fight for you… My oldest and dearest friend." Marisa explained, blushing furiously.

Joshua's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Marisa had never called Joshua her friend. She was usually so reserved with her emotions, and Joshua knew that he had really messed up today if his actions had impacted her so much.

"...Marisa." Joshua started. "I promise you right now. No matter what we face, no matter where we go… I promise you that I'll do my best to live. No more stupid stunts. No more breaking through the enemy lines like a madman. Not unless Robin tells me that it's safe." Joshua looked up as Marisa's expression calmed itself before his very eyes. "In return… Could I ask for a favor?"

Marisa tilted her head questioningly.

"When the war is over… When all of this is said and done… I'm going to be returning to Jehanna as its king. Could you… Come back with me?" Joshua asked.

Marisa's eyes widened. What Joshua was asking sounded incredibly close to a proposal. That being said…

Marisa lightly pecked Joshua on the cheek. "We'll see." Marisa replied. "Now come on. All these promises are worthless if you bleed out in the next hour."

Joshua chuckled as the two continued to walk towards the rest of their group. He leaned his head on Marisa's shoulder. The two had lost quite a lot on that day, but they had gained something invaluable.

* * *

Meanwhile, Raven was assuming command of the remainder of Erika's forces that had not been injured too badly. Robin was still at the healer's tent with Eirika, and Innes had been injured, so she was the sole tactician on the field.

"Vanessa!" Raven shouted. "How close are Ephraim's forces?" She asked the pegasus knight.

"Not far!" Vanessa replied. "They have engaged the enemy's flank! Both enemy commanders are now eliminated and a majority are retreating!"

Raven nodded her head. "Good! Alright, everyone who's left, we're going to break through to Ephraim's position."

Raven hadn't been concerned about leaving a guard for their injured and their healers, since she had already left behind a few of their number earlier that couldn't travel through the desert terrain very efficiently, such as their cavalry.

The rest of their forces formed a small wedge with their mages and archers standing at the center, casting spells and shooting arrows between the gaps of their own fighters and helping to cover the rear.

Soon enough, the enemy started to withdraw. With the death of Valter and Caellach, there was no clear commander on the field, creating utter chaos among the ranks of Grado. The few soldiers who realized this were able to get away, but the remainder were slaughtered as Raven took advantage of their disarray.

Eventually, Raven's forces managed to meet up with Ephraim's group.

"Prince Ephraim!" Tana shouted, as she landed and greeted the prince of Renais. She looked like she was visibly restraining herself from leaping into Ephraim's arms. Raven had an amused smirk on her face seeing the princess' reaction, while Innes' eyebrows both shot up in surprise at his sister's unusual behavior.

Tana looked back at her brother and the others, and Raven silently waved her hands in a 'go on' motion. Having made up her mind, Tana sprinted towards Ephraim, who had to brace himself to catch Tana in an embrace. As they kissed, Innes' expression grew comically shocked. His brain had momentarily shut down, and he was currently trying to make sense of the situation. His sister seemed quite comfortable with his fierce rival, which implied that this was not a new occurrence.

Seeing this, Raven couldn't help but chuckle to herself. She had talked to Tana previously, and had quickly figured out her infatuation with Ephraim. She doubted that Innes was completely surprised, but he probably hadn't realized that the two had been in a relationship for a while. She dragged the catatonic prince away so that the two could have their moment.

Tana was still gripping Ephraim with all of her strength, obviously not willing to let go to the prince of Renais.

"So… We're telling everyone now?" Ephraim asked, obviously wondering why Tana decided to suddenly reveal their relationship.

Tana nodded into Ephraim's chest.

"Can I ask why?" Ephraim lightly questioned.

Tana didn't answer for a few moments, but reluctantly turned her head up to look into Ephraim's eyes.

"The entire time you were away from me… I was scared. You were going straight into the capital of Grado, and I… Didn't know if you were okay. I know that the war isn't over… And I don't want us trying to keep what we have a secret whatever time we might have left." Tana explained softly.

Ephraim cupped Tana's chin. "Tana… I promise you. Nothing will happen to us. I won't let it. Okay? If you want to tell everyone about us then I'm fine with that, but you shouldn't feel pressured to do anything because of the war."

Tana smiled at Ephraim and simply continued embrace her prince. After a few moments however, a cough coming from next to Ephraim interrupted their moment.

"While it is pleasant to see the bonds that you two have… I believe that there are some things that must be discussed." A man in full armor, who was standing next to Ephraim, said.

That worked to snap Ephraim and Tana out of their embrace. They both blushed bright red, much to the amusement of the few soldiers that had seen them.

Ephraim coughed into his hand. "Of course. You're right Duessel. We should group up and share information. Seth, if you could round up Innes and Eirika, that would be appreciated."

"I will gather Innes and Raven. However, Eirika was injured, and is currently being looked after by our healers. I will see if I can pry Robin from her side however." Seth replied.

Ephraim raised an eyebrow at the new names but figured that he would be introduced when they all met. He wandered towards where the tents were currently being set up and with Tana and Duessel's help, managed to create a makeshift war tent. Soon after, Raven and Innes wandered over to where they had set up.

Innes was still eyeing both Ephraim and Tana warily, but Raven was grinning like a maniac. Ephraim nodded at the two of them.

"Hello again Innes. Who is your companion?" Ephraim asked.

Innes stared at Ephraim for a few moments, but eventually figured out that this was not the place to confront him about his relationship with Tana.

"This is Queen Raven of Ylisse." Innes introduced, shocking the two newcomers.

"Really? And what may I ask, are you doing here your highness?" Ephraim questioned.

"I came to Magvel to try and find my lost brother, Robin. I found him, and the two of us are fighting for Eirika now."

At that information Innes cocked an eyebrow. "Just Eirika?"

Raven nodded her head. "Pretty much. While I like everyone else in the army, I'm doing this for my brother, and he in turn is fighting for Eirika."

Ephraim narrowed his eyes at Raven's words. Was this 'Robin' attempting to court his sister? What about Mark? Did anyone manage to find him?

Before he could voice these questions, however, the tent flap opened up again and Seth walked through with Robin following behind him. Ephraim's eyes widened and he smiled at Robin.

"Mark! It's good to see you again. I see you decided to come back." Ephraim welcomed 'Mark'.

Robin rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly. "Yeah… Eirika convinced me to return. By the way, your highness… My name is Robin."

After hearing this piece of information, the pieces clicked into place. "Ah, so you're Raven's brother?" At Robin's nod, Ephraim smiled. "Well, it's nice to have more royalty travelling with us, but why were you lost?"

Robin cringed at Ephraim's words. "I'm… Not royalty your highness. Raven married into the Ylissean royal family, and I… Well… I'm not a part of that family anymore." Ephraim frowned at Robin's words, and was about to question him, when Robin continued. "I'll explain my story later, but for now we need status updates and figure out where we go from here."

Ephraim nodded. "You're right. Well, why don't we let your group go first."

Innes nodded. "Very well. From what I understand, upon arriving in Carcino, they were ambushed by mercenaries only to be helped by Raven. From there, they were informed that my group was in danger. This was all happening because the Elder Pablo decided to side with Grado and used that allegiance to take over the rest of the country. From there, we recovered Robin, and proceeded to the village of Caer Pelyn, which is hidden in the mountains range outside of Carcino. After travelling through the village, we encountered the rest of Carcino's forces, held off long enough for Rausten's knights to arrive. Afterwards, we received warning that Johanna was under siege, so we rushed to the castle as quickly as possible. However, we were unable to recover the Sacred Stone in time, and the queen was murdered."

At this point, Robin spoke up. "It should also be noted that Joshua was revealed to be the lost prince of Johanna and we are now apparently travelling with L'Arachel, princess of Rausten. We would have brought them into this discussion, but Joshua is heavily injured and L'Arachel is needed to heal right now."

Ephraim rubbed his temples in exasperation. "Everything is getting so complicated…" He muttered to himself. "Very well." He said, shaking himself out of his mood. "Our mission was fairly straightforward, however something disturbing happened near the end… When we confronted the king. He was disturbingly silent and gave very little in the way of explanations. When I 'killed' him… His corpse, it… Looked like he had been dead for years."

Most of the room's eyes widened in shock, however Robin simply closed his in thought.

"Animating the dead…" He murmured, gaining the attention of the rest of the room. "Especially for so long, and enough to fool so many… That's… Almost impossible. You'd need more magical power than any human in recorded history, and you'd need to be able to see the corpse while doing so." Robin explained.

Innes raised an eyebrow at Robin. "And how do you know this?"

"My father… He trained me to be the exceptional at many things, but when it came to magic, especially dark magic, he wanted me to be the best. No questions asked. Maybe at my peak I could do what Ephraim just described, but it would be tricky."

"Is it possible that we're dealing with a dark mage stronger than you?" Raven asked, concerned that they may be dealing with a threat greater than Grima.

"Without a doubt. I would imagine that this dark mage, whoever they happen to be, is more powerful than I was at the end of the Valmese campaign. I doubt he's more powerful than Grima though, or else he would have played his hand by now." Robin closed his eyes. "However, no matter how much power they had, reanimating the dead to imitate the living is exceptionally difficult, and has requirements no matter how powerful the caster is. The caster must be able to see the corpse while it is being animated, and the caster must be exceptionally familiar with the person that they are trying to imitate."

Ephraim now had a myriad of questions that he wanted to ask Robin, but they needed to focus on the matter at hand. "So are you saying that there's some other dark mage out there, with a connection to the demon king, who is the real reason behind all of this?"

Robin nodded. "It certainly seems that way."

"Well, we can certainly limit the suspects." Duessel said. "When the generals of Grado used to meet, we would make sure that there were no others around. The only person that I know of that meets all your requirements is an ex-bishop named Riev… However he only recently joined Grado, so he could not have been controlling the king's corpse for years."

Robin frowned. "Are you sure that there are no other people who could have done it? I'd really rather not like to think of the possibility that our dark mage might be able to break the rules of magic."

It was Duessel's turn to frown, but he said nothing. However, Ephraim had something he needed to add.

"There is one…" Ephraim muttered, gathering attention to himself. "Well… While I was in the palace… Lyon, the crown prince of Grado and my childhood friend appeared before me… But he was… Different."

"How so?" Robin asked, now intensely curious, because this was the same prince that he had met earlier in the day, and was honestly one of Robin's prime suspects.

"Well… He didn't seem… Entirely human." THAT certainly got everyone to pay attention to Ephraim's words. "I'll tell you what I saw. I found Lyon inside Grado Keep. This is what he told me: He said he was behind this war. He said he'd befriended me solely so that, one day, he could invade Renais… He told me he killed my father"

Robin frowned. That was far from how the prince had reacted around Eirika. "We encountered him in the palace. Eirika and I, that is." Robin paused, collecting his thoughts. A bad picture was being painted in his mind, and Robin couldn't see how this would end well for anyone. "He was… Kind. At first. He seemed reluctant to talk to Eirika. Now, I couldn't tell exactly what happened next, because I was in pain at the time, but he seemed different. Far more confident, with something else buried underneath."

Ephraim nodded. "My current theory is that Lyon is being possessed by something, but what?"

"It could be a more powerful dark mage, using Lyon as a conduit." Robin suggested. "It's not exactly uncommon for a more powerful dark mage to do that. There is another reason, but quite frankly the thought of it scares me and I'd really rather not think about it until there's more evidence."

"And what is that?" Seth asked, finally contributing to the conversation.

Robin was silent for a few moments. "If Lyon has been possessed for years… Considering that he was experimenting with Grado's sacred stone, which held the demon king originally, and the fact that Grado is destroying the sacred stones… He is either being possessed by someone who wants to let loose the demon king… Or the demon king himself."

At that thought, everyone froze. If the demon king was possessing Lyon, then what chance did they have against him? Lyon was already a fairly accomplished dark mage, and if the demon king were to give him more power, it would raise Lyon to incredible levels of power.

"That is the worst case scenario that we are working with. The demon king himself using Lyon to return to power." Robin explained.

Ephraim rubbed his face. "Great. Could this get any worse?" Ephraim asked, though he instantly regretted it.

"Yes." Robin replied.

Ephraim simply looked at Robin that managed to convey both exasperation and betrayal. Robin gave a dark chuckle.

"Sorry your highness, but there's something that everyone here needs to be made aware of." Robin said.

Robin then went on to explain his connection to the fell dragon, how he attempted to kill it, and how the fell dragon still resided in him.

"But wait, it gets worse." He said. "Right before Lyon appeared, I collapsed to the ground in pain, because someone had managed to force open one of the layers of protection on my magic. I prevented it from happening again, but because of that, I have even less time before Grima takes over my body again."

The mood turned even more hopeless at the news.

"H-how long do you have left?" Raven asked, her voice barely more than a whisper.

Robin let out a deep breath. "Probably only a month or two." Robin said, shocking everyone. "There's no way I would be able to go back to Ylisse in time for Chrom to use Falchion. And if Grima were to be let loose over the ocean, he'd probably just avoid Ylisse all together, razing some other continent to the ground."

Innes frowned. "So you would stay here instead?" Innes asked.

Robin nodded. "I have a few ideas that might work to kill or incapacitate whoever it is behind the scenes using Grima's power, and in theory the sacred stones should be able to lock me away. We just need to secure and protect both of the sacred stones that are still remaining."

"So the only choice is for you to die?" Raven asked, her voice obviously wavering. Ephraim frowned. He didn't like the idea of someone so close to his sister giving up his life like this.

Robin closed his eyes in contemplation. "No, I can't think of any way that I could survive this. Even the sacred stone idea is a delaying tactic until we can contact Ylisse and separate Grima from my body with Falchion, which would kill me."

Silence reigned in the war tent at that moment. Raven quickly excused herself, obviously wanting to be alone.

Ephraim sighed. "Well, why don't we take a break for now. With so many injured, I doubt that we're going to be moving before nightfall, so we'll set up camp here." Receiving a round of nods, the rest of the war tent quickly left.

* * *

Later that night, Robin found himself staring at the stars. He hadn't been too overly concerned that he would be dead soon. Considering the fact that Robin had come to terms with his death long ago, the only thing that he was concerned about at the time was how his new friends would react. He wasn't an idiot, he knew that at the very least, Joshua, Eirika, and his sister would be devastated when he died. Especially Eirika, given how she had reacted when he had initially put forward the idea that he had to die to prevent Grima's resurrection back in Carcino.

The thought of Eirika brought him up short. He had been thinking about his feelings for Eirika since his sister had confronted him on the march to Jehanna. He could only come to one conclusion: his sister was right. He was in love with Eirika, based on how Raven had described what she felt for Chrom. He didn't want to leave the princess' side, for any reason. He couldn't imagine a life without her, and the thought of her not wanting him around sent a searing pain through his chest.

It wasn't his fault that he didn't know what love really was. His 'dad' Validar, viewed both of his children as potential vessels for Grima. Once his mom managed to grab Raven and get away, Validar knew that he only had one chance to make Robin as perfect a vessel as possible, and trained him to be nigh unstoppable. However, since Validar controlled Robin's entire education, it was fairly easy for the man to prevent Robin from reading anything about love. Validar viewed it as an emotion that Robin would never need. After all, Robin was the end result of millennia of selective breeding, and his ascension would mark the end of mankind. Love had the potential to be disastrous if he fell for the wrong person, so Robin simply wasn't even made aware that it existed. That of course had changed when he joined the shepherds, but it wasn't easy to make up 18 years of no education on the subject.

So deep in his thoughts was Robin that he didn't notice that someone was approaching until a body sat next to him. Startled, Robin whipped his head to face his new guest. Sitting next to him was his sister, who still had small tears running down her face, and her eyes were bright red. She had obviously not taken the news of Robin's fate very well.

Robin remained silent. He knew that Raven had sat next to him for a reason, he just had to wait for her to initiate the topic that she wanted to talk about.

"How do you handle it?" Raven asked. When Robin cocked his head in confusion, she elaborated. "Dying. Even back with Grima's first ascension, when Naga mentioned you sacrificing yourself, you just… Accepted it. And now that you're… Dying again… W-why…. Why are you so calm?"

Robin sighed. He ran a hand through his hair. "Well… The first time, that was easy." Robin admitted. "Can't say I had any real reason to keep living in that life. Every country had made me out to be some kind of war criminal, all of the shepherds viewed me as a traitor, spy, or Grima incarnate, which I guess turned out to be true." Robin joked darkly.

He chuckled. "So when Naga told me that all I had to do to make Grima go away for good was to off myself? To provide my sister, her family, and what few friends I had left a good future? I took it. The only thing though, was that I couldn't let you all feel guilty for the peace that I bought for you myself. I had to finally make you ALL believe I was the villain, no more doubts. That's why I never told you all." That only made Raven's tears start falling even faster. She looked like she was barely keeping herself from breaking down and sobbing hysterically.

"But now? I don't know. Logically, I should be crying, screaming at the heavens that life is unfair. I was resurrected only to be given a timer, and then waste three of those years in the employ of a king who repeatedly ignored my warnings of Grado's impending invasion. But for some reason… I'm not." Robin actually had to think about it for a while. Why was he so calm right now?

"My guess… Is that these three and a half years were a gift. Not an intentional gift, but a gift nevertheless. By all rights, I shouldn't have been alive to enjoy them in the first place. I got to experience things I never thought I would… I made up with you, met new people, got accepted by a large group, I got to be the tactician for a little while…" He paused. "...I even found out what it was like to fall in love." He gave a humorless laugh at that. "How about that? The warmaster, the greatest war criminal in Ylisse's history, the 'demon of victory' as Chon'Sin tends to call me… Has found love."

That got Raven to give her brother a small smile. "So you figured it out?" She asked, wiping away some of her tears with the back of her hand.

Robin nodded. "Yeah… Wasn't easy, but… I know that you're right."

Raven's smile only widened. "Of course I am… I'm your sister and Queen after all." Robin rolled his eyes at Raven's words. "So when are you going to tell her?"

Robin looked at his sister as if she had grown a second head. "I'm sorry? Even IF I was SURE that Eirika thought of me that way, need I remind you that I will be dead in less than two months?"

Raven winced at the reminder of her brother's death. "So?" She questioned.

"So?! I'm not going to start a relationship with Eirika just to keel over so quickly! That's just cruel!" Robin responded heatedly.

Raven narrowed her eyes at her brother. "So you're just going to let her think about what could have been? Let her mourn a missed opportunity?" Raven questioned. Before her brother could respond, she continued. "Stop being such a hypocrite. You said that the time that you have now is a gift right? Then take advantage of it. Experience one more thing that you never got to. Start something beautiful with Eirika, even if it only lasts a little while. At least then she'll always remember your final days with happiness instead of despair."

Robin froze at Raven's words. Personally, he could find no fault in her logic. He wanted to. Oh how he wanted to. But he couldn't. Resigned, Robin sighed in defeat. "Fine. You win. We're going to Renais next. I'll let her know afterwards."

Raven frowned. That was likely at least a week away, but Raven knew that was probably as good as she was going to get. Before she left Robin to his thoughts though, she wanted to say one more thing.

"Robin… Are you sure that there's no way that you could live without Grima reviving himself?" Raven asked, her voice trembling.

Robin shook his head. "I would have to overpower Grima magically, and there's no way I could do that. Grima sacrificed the lives of millions over his immortal life in order to increase his power far beyond what it was originally. In order for me to match it, I would either need a few millennia of practice or more human sacrifices than Grima himself used. Both of which are impossible."

Raven nodded her head sadly, before embracing Robin in a bone-crushing hug. "I just… I don't want to l-lose my b-brother…" Raven started before she finally broke down into sobs.

Robin awkwardly reached his arms around Raven's back and gave his own hug. Raven only tightened her grip and kept crying late into the night.

* * *

The next morning, the army was on the move. Like Robin had predicted the previous night, they were heading to Renais. They weren't setting as gruelling a pace as they had been getting into Jehanna, since there was no real danger of Grado stealing Renais' sacred stone. However, the twin prince and princess were anxious to retake their homeland, and so their pace was definitely what many would consider fast.

Robin had had the unenviable task of informing Eirika of what had happened the previous night. To say that she was not happy about the conclusion of the meeting was an understatement.

* * *

" _What?!" Eirika exclaimed._

 _Robin sighed. "I have two months left at most Eirika. After that, I either need to be sealed away by a sacred stone or killed with Falchion. Falchion is too far away, so our only option left is to use one of the two remaining stones on me and save the last one for the Demon King."_

 _Eirika was silent for a few moments, trying to process what Robin had just said. "That's it? No other options? We're just giving up on saving you, just like that?!" Eirika asked, her temper flaring._

 _Robin rolled his eyes. "I would hardly call this 'giving up' Eirika. I studied my condition for three years while working for your father, and let me tell you, that man was resourceful when he wanted to be. He somehow managed to get genuine Grimleal texts on how they created me, but there was nothing that would help me. We're out of options and out of time now. For some reason, one of the curses I placed on my magical power snapped right before your friend Lyon appeared." Looking back at it now, that only further proved the idea that Lyon was the one who was possessed by the Demon King, but the others had agreed that they didn't want to tell Eirika until they knew beyond a shadow of a doubt that Lyon was the one behind everything._

 _Eirika was silent after Robin's words._

" _I… I don't…" Eirika started._

 _Robin sighed. "We'll talk about this later, okay? It doesn't even matter until we have a sacred stone anyways. So until then… Can we just… Try not to think about it? For me?" Robin asked._

 _Eirika closed her eyes, doing her best to not cry right now. "I'll try." She said simply._

* * *

Even with Robin's words, conversation between him and Eirika had been noticeably more muted as of late. Eirika had been standing closer to Robin than usual, but the two didn't say as much as they used to, since most of their topics would stray towards Robin's inevitable demise. Eventually they stayed silent while travelling, preferring the silent comfort of each other's company rather than awkward conversations.

Similarly, Joshua hardly said a word to anyone other than Marisa or Robin. The formerly happy-go-lucky gambling man was much more subdued after the events at Jehanna castle. He was still getting over his injuries though, and it was unlikely that he would be able to fight when they retook Renais. It bothered him, but whenever he would start to try to train too hard or insist that he help with the assault, Marisa would simply glare at him and he would cease his current line of reasoning.

The leaders of the army had decided to keep Robin's condition quiet for now. They needed as many people to focus on the retaking of Renais as possible, which meant no other distractions, and the idea that Robin would be dead within two months would only serve to completely annihilate morale. Considering Joshua's current state of mind, Robin decided against telling his friend about what had been decided.

The group eventually reached Renais. For some reason, there had been very little resistance on their way. In fact, if it weren't for some small groups of random monsters blocking their way, the army would have made it to Renais completely unimpeded. As they neared the castle however, the group could see evidence that Renais was on the brink of annihilation. The countryside had been hit hard during the initial stages of the war, and whatever government Grado had appointed in the meantime had obviously not seen fit to repair the damages that had been dealt.

Based on what limited intelligence they were able to gather from some of the citizens, Orson, who had betrayed the group back for Grado, was currently ruling over Renais, and rumor had it that the man had lost his tentative grip on sanity some time ago.

As they approached the castle, the group noticed a distinct lack of Grado soldiers in the area. In fact, the only militia that the group had seen so far was composed of mostly citizens and soldiers of Renais. It made sense to Robin: Grado was practically finished, their empire in ruins, their leader dead, and all but one of their generals were either dead or converted to the enemy. Most sensible soldiers that were stationed where their main enemy was likely to be next would flee and attempt to regroup with the main force.

However, Robin and Raven knew that they would still have some opposition in taking back the castle. Only the most devoted (read: insane) soldiers of Grado would be stationed inside of the castle proper, and therefore there wouldn't be able to simply stroll into the throne room.

* * *

"So what's our plan?" Robin asked, raising an eyebrow at Ephraim.

Ephraim's eyes widened in shock. "Me?! You two are practically living legends! Why am I the one in charge?!"

Robin rolled his eyes. "Well, while I did live here for three years, I was pretty much confined to one or two rooms. You, by contrast, have lived here your entire life, you're now the public face of this army along with Eirika, and you recently held a rather impressive campaign against Grado that pretty much single-handedly ended their empire."

Ephraim looked a bit sheepish, which Raven picked up on. She smirked at the prince. "Congratulations. People now consider YOU a legend. Have fun being admired no matter where you go, and having people expect the world of you before you even meet them."

Ephraim simply sighed and rubbed his forehead. He sighed. "Fine. Whatever. There's two main entrances. If we make it seem like we're only going to take one of them, the enemy might focus their forces on both that entrance and keep some on the other in case of an ambush. However, there is a passageway that leads directly to the throne room, but it is very narrow. We could bring maybe two people through it. I'm worried that Orson might be aware of the passageway, so we will have to wait until we are starting to break through the entrance. If we can do that, Orson won't be able to waste resources guarding the entrance even if he is aware of it, and so the pair that goes through won't have to worry about any soldiers attempting to bottleneck them."

Robin and Raven looked at each other, before they both shrugged their shoulders. "Good enough." They said in unison.

Ephraim glared at the twins. "Good enough? How would you have done better, might I ask?"

Robin simply smirked. "Oh no, my prince. Your plan is good enough. We'll go with that. While our plans might be faster, they're no more likely to work or fail than your plan."

Ephraim sighed. "Fine. You two are figuring out who is going to be on the infiltration team though."

Raven and Robin nodded their heads. They had already figured everything out anyways.

They were a bit creepy like that.

* * *

The diversion team was going well. They had just managed to break through the main entrance hall. While there were some Grado soldiers left behind that they had to fight, quite a few simply surrendered and laid down their weapons upon seeing the collective army of the prince and princess of Renais. Artur let loose a blast of light magic into the sky, signalling Robin and Eirika to go.

Robin sighed. He had been convinced by Raven to go with Eirika in case something unexpected were to happen, or Lyon appeared in the throne room. No one was really sure how powerful Lyon might be, but if he really was possessed by the Demon King, then they needed to send their best at him. Robin would have to actually fight if Lyon entered the picture, as he was without a doubt the best fighter in the army. Eirika needed to go because she knew the secret passageway, and it wouldn't do for the infiltration team to not know where to go to actually infiltrate the castle.

Robin was sure that his sister was only trying to get Robin to confess to Eirika the exact moment that the battle was over, which only made Robin more nervous. He wasn't nervous about the battle, no that was going to be a cakewalk. He was sure that his sister, Ephraim, and Innes could make sure that no one was too severely hurt in the fight. However, he also knew that he would be pouring his heart out after they had finished, which only forced his mind to work into overtime. His normally analytical brain was going haywire at all the possibilities that could occur after they killed Orson.

The fairly awkward silence between the two was finally broken by Eirika, who had noticed that the raven-haired tactician was obviously thinking about something.

"Robin?" Eirika asked, snapping the warmaster out of his thoughts. "Are you okay?"

Robin sighed. "Yeah. Just… Nervous, you know? After this… We still have to figure out how to stop all the monsters wandering across Magvel. We're going to go from fighting human soldiers with Grado to fighting dark magic abominations… Again." He pinched his brow. "On top of that, this whole situation feels just like when Grima was resurrected… The continent is going to hell, there's a nigh-unstoppable being of near-godly magical power, and we have to find the one thing that can defeat it. On top of that, we have my… Condition preventing me from helping out too much."

Eirika frowned. She had a feeling there was more that Robin wasn't telling her. While Robin was an exceptional liar, Eirika was getting better at telling when he was doing so. Now seemed to be one of those times, but Eirika would press him for more information later.

"Yes… I can see how that might be worrying…" Eirika muttered in response. She knew that things between her and Robin had been somewhat tense recently because of the situation with Grima. However, she had thought about it for quite some time, and she knew that she had to fix it. Robin only had so much time left, and she didn't want to waste it.

"Robin… Could you teach me about magic?" Eirika asked, hoping that if Robin went back to training her, then they might start talking normally again.

Robin raised an eyebrow. "You want to learn magic?" He asked skeptically.

Eirika shook her head. "No, but I need to know about it if I'm going to start fighting mages, right?"

Robin nodded. "That makes sense. We'll try to incorporate that into your training schedule." Robin said. "We'll have to talk about that more later. It looks like we're here."

Eirika turned around and agreed with Robin's assessment. Orson was there, and he had his back turned to the two. Eirika stepped forwards, not even bothering to hide her presence.

"Orson!" Eirika shouted. Robin merely facepalmed at Eirika's actions. They had managed to get the drop on the enemy leader, and Eirika was just going to throw that advantage away. He sighed. He knew that the princess was still far too kind, but to go so far as to offer a traitor a fair duel was foolish.

"Princess Eirika." Orson said, turning to face the princess in question.

"Orson… Why? Why did you have to betray us?" Eirika pleaded.

Orson closed his eyes. "Of all people, I would have expected that you would understand the most princess… For the one I love, I gave up everything… My country, my lord and master… My honor and pride. For my beloved…" He trailed off, before finally lifting up his lance.

"I would even forsake you princess Eirika." Orson stated coldly, pointing his lance in the direction of the princess of Renais.

Eirika sighed, before she unsheathed her own weapon. "So be it." She muttered, before dashing towards the traitor of Renais.

Robin watched the battle between the two. Orson quickly cast aside his lance, as Eirika had quickly made the weapon almost obsolete. She had gotten very efficient at not falling for the same traps that most other sword fighters fell for against lances. However, she was still not completely proficient with her new anti-sword techniques, and so had a marginally more difficult time fighting Orson off when he pulled out his sword.

As the two clashed, Robin could tell that Eirika was getting more and more tired as she kept missing her kill shots. She wouldn't last too much longer. Luckily for her however, Orson was obviously more suited to mounted combat, which was impossible to take advantage of in the tight confines of the throne room. Orson overextended slightly, which was all Eirika needed to skewer his weapon arm with her weapon. Letting out a shout of pain, Orson's weapon fell to the ground with a clatter. Eirika followed up with her advantage and quickly skewered Orson's heart. The paladin's eyes widened in shock.

"Monica…" he breathed out weakly, and then Orson, traitor of Renais, knew no more.

Eirika simply stood over Orson's corpse in sadness. She had known the man when she was growing up, and had the pleasure of meeting his wife on more than one occasion. It had been a tragedy when the kind woman had died, but this made that event seem downright cheerful by comparison.

She felt a hand on her shoulder and Eirika looked back to see Robin, expression filled with concern. Eirika smiled at him and squeezed the hand on her shoulder to confirm that she was alright.

Moments later, Ephraim bursted into the room, with Innes, Raven, Tana and Seth following closely behind. They saw the dead body of Orson and the two standing above it.

"Ah, I see you two were successful." Innes said.

Robin nodded. "Yeah, no real problems on our end. No one was left to guard Orson after your distraction." Suddenly, Orson's last words clicked in his mind. "Hey Ephraim. You said that the emperor of Grado had been resurrected to act like what the emperor was like when he was alive, right?"

Ephraim frowned at the reminder of the grotesque memory, but nodded. "Yes, but why do you ask?"

Robin stayed silent for a few moments. "Something that Orson said before he died suddenly made sense to me. Excuse me, but I'll be back in a moment." Robin said, before rushing off in the direction of the royal apartments.

Everyone else just watched Robin leave. "Should… We follow him?" Tana asked. Everyone looked at each other before they shrugged and ran after Robin.

* * *

Robin entered King Fado's old apartment and sighed at what he saw. Quickly locking the door behind himself, Robin turned to face the sad sight in front of him.

"Darling…" The apparition whispered.

It was very clearly a shade of Orson's dead wife. It wasn't anywhere nearly as complicated as what emperor Vigarde was resurrected as, but it was likely created by the same dark mage. Vigarde had been controlled intricately like a puppet. This was more an illusion put onto a corpse. It more resembled Grima's risen than anything else.

"Darling…" It said again.

"So that's all you can say, huh?" Robin asked rhetorically. "I guess Orson must have really lost his mind to think that you were his wife…" He muttered.

"Darling…"

"Well, I doubt that any of what you were originally is left in there, but if there is… Know that I'll bring you peace." Robin said, pulling out a light magic tome from his pocket.

" _Purge_ " Robin incanted softly, bathing the room in a brilliant white light.

When the light faded, all that was left was the corpse of Monica, the woman that Orson once loved, no longer touched by the taint of the Demon King.

Robin sighed and unlocked the door, quickly exiting the room. The others were waiting there for him, obviously wondering what he had figured out.

"Someone had used a similar technique on Orson's dead wife. I removed it, no one needed to see what had been done to her." Robin said.

Everyone nodded in response, trusting that Robin had done the right thing. "I will remove Monica's corpse then." Seth said sadly. "I was close to Orson and his late wife, and I will bury the two myself." Seth said, walking into the old king's apartment to remove the corpse.

Eirika sighed. It hurt to know that Orson had truly been deceived to the point of madness. If he had simply been pretending to be loyal to Renais for so long, it would have been easier to swallow, but this…

Before she could reflect on her thoughts though, Seth emerged back out of the bedroom. "Princess Eirika, prince Ephraim, come out onto the balcony, I think there's something here you should see." Seth said.

Eirika and Ephraim raised an eyebrow in question at Seth's words, but followed the knight anyways. When they reached the balcony, they were stunned by what they saw.

"It seems like the people were informed ahead of time." Innes muttered.

Sure enough, lining the gardens of the palace were thousands of citizens of Renais. When they saw the prince and princess up on a balcony, they started cheering. They were cheering for their royalty's triumphant return, but focusing more on 'King Ephraim'.

Ephraim looked unsure what to do for a few moments before Robin spoke up. "These people need hope right now. Everything's gone to hell for them over the last few months, and they need to be reassured that their new king will work towards fixing the mess that Grado made."

Ephraim looked back at Robin and nodded in thanks.

"People of Renais!" Ephraim shouted at the top of his lungs, silencing the crowd before him. "I come to you today to tell you that Grado's reign over our beloved country is over!"

His words received deafening cheers from the crowd. When they settled down, Ephraim continued. "However, there are still those out there who would bring ruin to Magvel, and I and my sister must help stop them!" Ephraim proclaimed, and the crowd started muttering amongst themselves. "While it breaks my heart to do so, I cannot be your king until this threat has been dealt with for good! I must ask that you all be patient, for if my sister and I do not succeed in our task, I fear that all of Magvel may fall into darkness."

It took a few moments for his words to settle in on the crowd, and just before he thought they were all going to start yelling at him, his citizens started cheering the prince on again. Ephraim turned to the others in confusion.

"What just happened? I basically told them that they won't have a king for who knows how long. Why are they happy about that?"

Raven shook her head. "They're mostly just happy that you've saved them. The country should run much better without Orson in charge, even if no one is at the helm for a little while."

Robin nodded. "Plus, the fact that you're going out and fighting for them? Please, the people LOVE that stuff! It worked wonders for Chrom, and it's working well for you here."

Ephraim nodded slowly in acceptance, and he and Eirika gave a few waves to their citizens before wandering back into the room. Upon turning around, Eirika and Ephraim frowned when they saw the corpse of Monica lying down on the bed. Seth quickly ushered everyone out so that he could complete his task.

* * *

A few hours later, once everything had settled down, the same group that had gathered in the royal apartments previously had gathered in the throne room. The reason? They were finally going to get the sacred stone of Renais.

Eirika and Ephraim raised their bracelets high while facing the throne. Suddenly, there was a blinding light, and when it stopped there was a stairwell leading down where the throne used to be. Unfortunately, only Eirika and Ephraim could walk down the stairwell, as it appeared that the bracelets were needed to travel through some form of magical barrier that popped up. While the twins descended, Raven turned to Robin, making sure to stay separate from the others so that they wouldn't be overheard.

"So… You're telling her, right?" Raven asked.

Robin sighed. "Against my better judgement… Yes. Yes I am."

Raven smiled. "Good. Make sure it's nice and romantic, alright? Eirika's a great person, and I think she'd really appreciate that."

Robin nodded. "I'll do my best. If I'm being honest, I'm still really nervous about all of this."

"I bet. Just remember, she cares about you too, okay? I'm sure this will all work out."

Robin shook his head. "It amazes me that you're so sure-" Robin was cut off as the sound of footsteps heralded the arrival of the royal twins. However, upon seeing Eirika, Robin froze. Memories that had been locked away suddenly flooded back into his head. Memories of a person that had been a shining beacon in his awful life.

* * *

" _Father!" Shouted a girl. "There you are! I've been looking everywhere for you!"_

 _The girl in question had medium-length cyan hair, his tactician cloak, and a strange sword by her side that sparked with electricity more fiercely than any levin sword. She was a bundle of energy, and was far kinder than any child of his had any right to be._

* * *

"Morgan…" Robin whispered to himself, so quiet that no one could hear him, not even his sister standing right next to him.

Eirika gave Robin a shining smile, that he was not returning. The blade that she was holding… There was no doubt, it was the same sword that Morgan had always held, a unique blade that he had deemed no one could possibly replicate. That meant that Eirika was Morgan's mother…

But if that was the case…

"I need some air." Robin said hurriedly, sprinting out of the hidden entrance that he and Eirika had used only hours previously.

Everyone stared in the direction that Robin had run off in. No one knew why Robin had reacted that way, but Eirika was slightly hurt. Why didn't he smile back at her? Why did he run away?

"Robin?" Eirika asked weakly. What was wrong with the man that she loved?

 **A/N:**

 **Hi. So. You're probably wondering why this took me so long. Well, there's a few reasons why. First is this: I've got other stories on the brain right now. Not just Chance for Redemption, but other ideas, in different fandoms. I want to write them, but I want to finish this first, so it's kind of turned into a chore for me right now. Luckily I recently became re-motivated when I realized how close I was to finishing this story, so hopefully I'll be done by Christmas.**

 **Secondly, I've got a lot on my plate right now in real life. I simply don't have much free time, and there are other things that I'd rather do than write most days. I can see that changing in the future, but we'll see.**

 **Finally, I've always had a problem with starting little projects but not finishing them, and that's starting to show here. I really want to finish this though, and the support that I've been getting has made that possible. Seriously, the fact that so many people read this story is why I'm still writing it.**

 **Also, just a cool thing to mention: I've beat tactics of the stones in follows! Hooray! Tactics was one of the many inspirations for this story, and the fact that I managed to surpass it makes me happy. While I would also like to surpass it in favorites, I have to be realistic here: it has been around way longer than my fic has, so I'm not going to get those numbers anytime soon. But someday! Someday I will.**

 **Oh right, I also need to mention that Chance for Redemption is on hold until this story is done. Sorry, but I don't think I should be juggling two stories right now. Also, I want to thank everyone who checked out Dreams and Revelations, I was quite happy with how that one turned out.**


	19. Blackheart

_Morgan_.

What had erased his memories of his own DAUGHTER?! Quite possibly the only shining light in his final days, and the only person who had actually cried over his body as he died from killing Grima. There was no doubt about it - whatever power had resurrected him and fought Grima for his body was responsible. Grima used the last of his energy to prevent Robin from killing the both of them.

Robin narrowed his eyes.

That meant that the demon king had not only manipulated his memories, which was already something that Robin truly despised ever since the time when he had awoken with amnesia, but more specifically erased memories of his one and only child.

Robin's eyes flashed red briefly. _He will BURN._ Robin thought to himself darkly.

However, that was not the worst of Robin's current predicament. The moment that Robin had remembered Morgan, the connotations finally hit him. He had never really thought too hard on who Morgan's mother might have been. Her fighting style was uniquely suited to taking advantage of her opponent's weaknesses. He had apparently been subconsciously teaching Eirika that style, since it suited Eirika. Likely because he had helped her develop it in Morgan's timeline.

Considering the fact that it was that sword style that eventually led to Morgan's victory over Robin in a duel, it was actually a godsend. Should Grima take control of Robin's body, Eirika might stand a chance against him with some more training. Unfortunately, that wasn't taking into account Grima's godly levels of dark magic power, so he was back to where he started with his backup plans.

The problem that made Robin run out of the room though, was the connotations of Morgan's travel back in time.

Considering the fact that Naga almost assuredly sacrificed herself to send Lucina's generation back in time, Morgan was certainly faced with an end-of-the-world scenario. Time travel was to be used for no other reason than to prevent the collapse of mankind. It was far too dangerous, far too exploitable. To add to that, Morgan apparently lost her memories, which might imply that Naga didn't have anywhere near the amount of power that she might have had when she sent back Lucina. That implied that the situation of the world was somehow WORSE than when Grima was initially resurrected.

But because of Morgan's memory loss, no one knew how or why this happened. There was absolutely no information to go off of… Except for one thing.

He and Eirika had a child together.

That was it. That was all Robin had to go off of. No other information. It made him want to cry. Just when he was about to confess to Eirika that he loved her, when it finally seemed like he might be able to find a small spot of happiness before he died, it was ripped away from him.

He knew that his relationship with Eirika was unlikely to be the catalyst of the world's destruction, but he had to change SOMETHING, and his relationship with Eirika was the only change that he could make that he could guarantee was different from Morgan's timeline. Sure, there were some plans that Robin had that might not have worked out in the end, but he didn't know that.

But now he knew what he had to do. He couldn't get into a relationship with Eirika. End of story. The whole situation made him wonder how his sister had missed the connotations of Morgan's existence, but he knew the answer to that. By the time that Morgan had found Robin, the fire emblem had already been stolen by Validar, and everyone was tense. No one was talking to Robin anymore anyways, and because of that, only a few people talked to Morgan, and Raven was far too busy to be one of those people. She probably didn't remember every little detail about Morgan to recognise her in Eirika, but Robin was almost sure that she would recognise Eirika's sword. It had been the subject of many conversations among the shepherds in his final days with them.

Robin was brought out of his thoughts as someone walked up from behind him. Without him noticing, it had become almost midnight. He had been watching out from the same ramparts where he had confronted King Fado a day before he died. And now the last person that he wanted to see right now was walking up to the tactician.

Eirika.

"Robin! There you are. Have you been here the whole time? We've all been worried about you!" Eirika exclaimed, smiling brightly at Robin.

Robin couldn't help it. Even with what he had learned today, Eirika's smiles just made him smile as well. Something about it made him feel warm inside, and that just made Robin's decision hurt all the more.

"Hey Eirika." Robin greeted. "I've just… Had some things on my mind. Sorry to worry everyone."

Eirika nodded her head. "I think everyone realised that…" She said amusedly. "Mind if I ask what that something is?"

Robin sighed. "I just realised something that I really wish wasn't true. It means I'm going to have to do something that I'm going to regret…" Robin replied vaguely.

Eirika frowned. "Is there any way that I can help you? You know that you can tell me anything, right?"

Robin shook his head. "I'm sorry Eirika. But this is something that I have to do on my own." Robin explained.

Before Eirika could ask Robin why he couldn't tell her what was wrong, Robin decided to change the subject.

"So! If I remember correctly, you wanted to incorporate learning about magic into your training, right?" Robin asked, somewhat desperate to avoid mentioning Morgan's existence to Eirika.

Eirika caught what Robin was trying, and decided to cut him a break, even though she really wanted to know what was bothering him.

"Yes, I'm confident that it would be helpful, especially since we might be facing powerful mages in the near future."

Robin nodded his head. "Alright then. I should be able to help you out with some ways to counter mages, but right now, I'm going to give you a quick crash course on how magic works."

Eirika nodded her head in response. "That seems like a good idea to me. I admittedly know little about magic, so it might be a good idea to start from the beginning."

Robin nodded his head. "Sounds like a plan." He said, taking a moment to compose himself.

"To start with, I'll explain what magic really is. Magic is the energy of our world. It is in the air we breathe, the ground we walk, and the food we eat. All living things naturally draw in a small amount of magic into their bodies without even trying. We can then expel this energy out of our bodies through foci such as tomes and staves."

It was at this point Eirika interrupted. "Are foci necessary to use magic?"

Robin shook his head. "No, but without knowing exactly what to do, all you'll end up doing is making yourself tired." Eirika nodded her head at Robin's answer. "A mage who uses a spell extremely often would be able to replicate the spell's effects without a foci, but very few mages ever reach that point. Tomes and staves are usually very expensive for the average mage, and they eventually burn out with too much use." Robin explained.

"Anyways, when we use our foci, we are channeling that magic back into the world, and our foci helps us shape that energy into the spell that we want. That is the basic idea behind all spells. Now, because the world is filled with so much energy, it is almost impossible to completely empty yourself of magic. The moment that you cast a spell, the magic that you used for that spell is instantly recharged. However, without training, the amount of magic that any one person can draw on is very small. By using magic more and more often, your capacity for storing magic also grows - like a muscle."

Eirika looked like she was about to ask a question, but Robin beat her to it. "Now you're probably wondering if that's the only way to get more magic, right? Don't worry, that's pretty much the first question everyone asks. That actually leads us to the concept of light and dark magic. Dark magic was initially founded by people who wished to increase their magical capacity artificially. Through the use of rituals, they were able to draw more magical energy from the world into their body. For whatever reason however, the magic that they gained through this method was not normal magical energy, it was far too dense. They could not use normal spells with this energy, so they harnessed different spells in order to use it. These became known as dark magic spells. They were able to more easily overpower normal magic spells because of their dense nature, it simply barreled through the normal spells."

"For a long time, dark magic was common. Now, not all dark mages are evil. The rituals involved in gaining more magical capacity doesn't necessarily require any form of sacrifices, but those rituals are far easier to accomplish. Because dark magic was becoming this unbeatable weapon, many attempted to devise a counter to it. Eventually, someone figured it out. The answer was called light magic. Light magic involves taking the ambient magical energy of the world and manipulating it in its purest form through a foci, without taking it into a person's body. By using magic in this form, it is much harder to shape, and does little physical damage, but has the unique property of unravelling any magic that it comes across. Dark magic is almost instantly unraveled in the face of light magic, but normal magical spells aren't as affected, simply because their less dense nature means that the light magic spells can sometimes miss a part of the spell. Does that make sense?"

Eirika squinted her eyes in thought. "A little bit. The part about light magic not working against normal magic confused me though."

Robin sighed and rubbed the back of his head. "Yeah, that part is new to me as well. It's like…" Robin paused, trying to put the right words into place. "It's like in a battle, hitting a tightly-packed army versus a spread out army. If you were to make an explosion go off in the middle of the tightly-packed force, it would kill a lot more people than if you did the same for the spread out force, if that makes more sense."

Eirika nodded. "Yeah, I think I get it now. But how do people get better at using light magic if they aren't drawing it into themselves?"

Robin smirked. "Good question. Many practitioners of light magic will probably claim that their faith is what makes their magic stronger, and that might be true, but I believe that with repeated use, the area where the light mage can draw magic from increases, allowing them to access more of the energies of the world. In theory, one could draw upon the entire world's energy at the same time, though I'm not entirely sure how much practice it would take to do that, or for what reason one would do that for."

Eirika nodded her head. "I think I get it. So how am I going to counter mages?"

"Well, the best way to eliminate most mages is to get rid of their focus, but we might have to go up against mages who can use some spells without a foci. It should be possible for you to be able to sense the feeling of magic in the air around you, which will give you a good indication of when to dodge. We'll have you practice dodging my spells, and then probably move up to having you dodge them blindfolded."

Eirika groaned at the idea of dodging Robin's spells while blindfolded, which only caused Robin to smirk mischievously. "You're going to enjoy this, aren't you?" Eirika asked dryly.

"Why princess Eirika, whatever could you possibly mean? I but your humble servant, I am sure that I would never take pleasure in causing you harm." Robin remarked sarcastically.

Eirika shook her head. "Whatever. I need some rest tonight, but could we start training tomorrow?" Eirika asked.

"Sure thing Eirika. We'll probably be setting out as soon as possible tomorrow, so we'll start the new regimen sometime tomorrow night." Robin said, giving Eirika a wave goodnight as she disappeared back towards the royal quarters, likely to tell Ephraim where he was. He turned towards one of the nearby towers.

"You can come out now." Robin called out.

In answer, Raven stepped out of the shadows of the tower. "I liked your magic lesson. Short and to the point."

Robin nodded. "When I had regained my memories, that was more or less how I was taught magic. I was given the base verbal instructions and then was forced to figure out the rest on my own. Honestly, whatever you want to say against Validar and the Grimleal, they at least knew how to make good mages."

Raven nodded her head. "I suppose that's true." She mused. Raven then sighed. "It took me a while to realize why you ran out like you did… At first I thought that you had just freaked out at the idea of confessing, but that didn't seem like you…"

Raven looked up at Robin with a sad expression. "...It's Morgan, isn't it?"

Robin nodded. "Something got rid of my memories of her, otherwise… I would've figured it out immediately. They look so alike…" Robin said whimsically, a sad smile making it onto his face.

Raven started crying again at Robin's words, before she suddenly enveloped her brother in a crushing hug. Robin quickly reciprocated, needing comfort himself.

After what seemed like hours, Raven spoke up. "It's not fair." She sobbed. "Why does everything bad have to happen to you?"

Robin tightened his grip around his sister. "I don't know." He whispered.

They stayed like that for hours, comforting each other while contemplating the unfairness that was the older brother's life.

* * *

The army traveled towards Rausten the next morning, hoping to get the last sacred stone in case they needed to contain Robin. However, the two tacticians barely got any sleep that night, and were very tired for the march the next morning. Considering the fact that the whole group had liberated Renais last night, which was a significant victory, the twin tacticians were in a very somber mood. The two stayed near each other and didn't really talk to anyone else. It made those who were close to the two wondering what the problem was. Unfortunately, any questions regarding the problem was simply shrugged off, and not even Eirika could figure out what was going wrong.

Eirika decided to see if Joshua had any other information on what might be the problem.

"Sorry princess, I know as much as you do." Joshua confessed. "I was actually going to ask you the same question."

Eirika huffed in frustration. "I can't get through to Robin, and I never really got along with Raven that much in the first place. I know that Robin's been having some kind of problem since the night that we recovered the sacred stone of Renais. As soon as he saw me and my brother come out of the chamber, he bolted out of the room and hasn't been the same since."

Joshua frowned. "That's weird. He tells you everything now."

Marisa decided that was a good point to jump into the discussion. "I find it unlikely that Robin would withhold information from Eirika. It is likely an important secret."

Eirika turned her attention to Marisa, regarding her words. "Do you really think so?"

Marisa nodded. "Yes." She said simply, offering no further explanation.

Eirika shook her head at Marisa's answer, whereas Joshua simply laughed and hugged the pink-haired swordmaster, which caused her cheeks to take on a light tint similar to her hair. In the end, they all let the matter drop, as Marisa raised a good point: if the problem was important, Robin would tell them.

Or at least, that was what they all had thought. The group had been marching for a week now, and both the tactician's attitudes hadn't changed. Outside of meeting with the leaders and training Eirika, Robin was practically mute. It was actually starting to bring down the morale of all the troops.

"Eirika, this can't continue." Ephraim stated to his sister. "We need everyone in top fighting shape in the coming weeks, and their attitudes are hurting that."

Eirika sighed. "I know. I'll try talking to-" Eirika paused when she heard the distinctive sound of metal hitting metal. "Do you hear that?" Eirika asked.

Before Ephraim could answer, Tana descended from the air. "Ephraim, Eirika! The Frelian force that we sent ahead of us has encountered the enemy! Grado forces and monsters ahead!"

The twin royals looked at each other and nodded. They quickly met up with the tacticians to get together a rough plan. Luckily Robin and Raven seemed to immediately snap out of whatever mood they were in previously now that a fight was on the horizon.

"What are we looking at Tana?" Robin asked immediately.

"We have several rivers merging to create an island in the middle, where our forces are currently engaging the enemy. There's a fort on the other side that we should be able to defend, but it looks like the forces we sent ahead can't reach it."

Robin nodded. "I see. Alright then-" Robin started, only to be interrupted by the sound of teleportation in their midst. Robin instantly snapped his head in the direction of the sound, and everyone else in the area drew their weapons.

Standing not thirty feet away from the various commanders of their small army was Lyon, prince of Grado and likely vessel of the Demon King. He appeared to be confused, as if he hadn't meant to appear where he was currently, but Robin knew that the odds of that happening were far too small for this to be a coincidental meeting. He kept his guard up, just in case the worst happened.

"Huh…?" Lyon muttered.

"Lyon?!" Eirika exclaimed, gaining Lyon's attention.

"Eirika?!" Lyon remarked in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

Robin narrowed his eyes. Either Lyon wasn't currently possessed or the Demon King was an amazing actor. Considering the Demon King was a master of manipulating emotions, it was still likely the latter.

"I'm-" Eirika started, only to be interrupted by Ephraim.

"Lyon, what's happened to you?! Did you really kill my father Lyon?!" Ephraim shouted, getting more and more agitated.

Lyon's eyes simply widened, which only angered Ephraim more.

"Answer me!"

"I don't… What are you talking about Ephraim?" Lyon asked, sounding so genuine that he convinced almost everyone.

Almost.

"So it's really true…" Robin said, gathering everyone's attention. Upon seeing Robin, Lyon's eyes widened in panic once again. "You really are the vessel for the Demon King."

Lyon's expression darkened for a split second before it took on a hurt expression. "WHAT?!" He exclaimed. "I didn't- I wouldn't- Why would you even THINK that?!"

"You forget Formortiis, I have experience with possession. I know what to look out for. You're a good actor, I'll admit, but you're not Lyon."

At Robin's words, everyone turned to face Lyon. Eirika's eyes widened in shock, but everyone else narrowed theirs in suspicion.

"What are you-?"

"Is it true Lyon?" Eirika asked, her voice trembling.

"No, of course it isn't. He must be lying to you!" Lyon proclaimed.

Eirika regarded Lyon for a few moments before shaking her head. "No. Robin would never betray me like that. I don't know who you are… But you aren't Lyon."

Silence fell for a few moments before a deep voice started chuckling. " **Heh heh heh… Guess I couldn't fool you, eh** _ **Warmaster**_ **?"** The voice asked.

Robin said nothing in response, simply watching to see what the Demon King would do.

" **I suppose there's no more hiding then is there? Oh poor Lyon… The woman you love, and the man you always envied… Finally abandoning you. I suppose it's a good thing he isn't here anymore.** " The Demon King let that settle in, enjoying the devastation that fell on the faces of those present. " **That's right… I killed Lyon over a year ago. The fool is no more.** "

"No… That can't be true!" Eirika exclaimed. "You're lying!"

The Demon King cackled madly. " **Believe what you will princess. Maybe I'm playing with you. Maybe there's still a way to save poor, sweet Lyon. Why don't you come find me and find out?** **I'll be waiting.** " With those final words, the Demon King teleported away in another flash of light.

Ephraim and Eirika didn't know what to do. Was their childhood friend dead? Had the Demon King killed him so long ago? They didn't quite know how to process the information and were standing still in shock.

"Everyone! Focus!" Robin shouted, snapping the two royals out of their shock. "He's still nearby. We can end this right now. All we need to do is weaken the Demon King enough to the point where we can seal him in the stone. This entire war can end today if we play things right."

Everyone immediately sobered at Robin's words. They could end the threat of the Demon King today if the played their cards right, but they had to work fast.

"Alright, what's the plan?" Ephraim asked.

Without letting anyone else jump in and suggest anything, Robin was already giving orders. "According to the map we have of the area, our forces are currently on an island in the middle of the three rivers. We need to hold that position. That is your priority."

Raven frowned at her brother. "That's it? 'Hold the choke point' is your grand strategy for taking down the Demon King?" Raven asked disbelievingly.

Robin shook his head. "Of course not." Robin replied, getting relieved sighs from the rest of the group. "I'll handle the Demon King myself."

At this, everyone's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?!" They exclaimed.

"Robin, are you sure?" Eirika asked.

Robin nodded his head. "I am. I'm our best shot at taking out the Demon King in combat. I doubt that he is at full strength, so I should have an advantage over him in pure combat, especially at close range. I can close the distance with warp powder fairly easily, and I should be able to match him with dark magic. I might have to break another of my curses in order to beat him, but even then, we should have enough time to get to Rausten before Grima possesses me."

"No." Eirika said. "Absolutely not. You're just killing yourself! You-"

"We have no choice Eirika!" Robin snapped. "If I do this, the war could end right now. If I don't, who the hell knows! Maybe we finish today, maybe the Demon King bides his time, waiting for Grima to break free! We can't take that risk!"

Eirika recoiled in shock. Robin had never shouted at her before. She didn't know how to react now that she was.

As soon as Robin saw Eirika's expression, he felt like garbage. He had been distancing everyone from him again, using the tactic he used last time to make sure that no one would waste the peace that he would buy with his life. It worked the first time, hopefully it will work again. However, everything that was happening to him was taking a toll on his mental and emotional strength. He and Eirika hadn't slept in the same tent since Renais, and the nightmares had been coming back again. All of this led him to snapping out at the last person on the planet that he was angry with.

"Eirika… I'm sorry. I didn't mean to yell at you… But we have to do this." Robin said much more softly.

Eirika looked to be on the verge of tears, but straightened herself out. "Alright…" She said, her voice little more than a whisper. "If that's what you think… I'll trust you Robin."

"Thank you."

Raven sighed. "All right Robin, you go on ahead, see what you can do to help us. Engage the Demon King only when you're sure you won't be surrounded."

Robin nodded, before simply teleporting away.

"Come." Raven said. "It has been some time since I've watched my brother fight, and unless I'm mistaken, none of you have before. It is quite the sight to see."

* * *

Robin appeared on the small island between the rivers. He narrowed his eyes towards the fortress. He could feel a large concentration of dark magic in that area, so that was likely where the Demon King was. He heard shouting from across the river, and saw a small group of archers taking aim at him. Quickly summoning his own bow and arrows from his chest, Robin took aim at the one reacting the fastest, and let the arrow fly. The arrow embedded itself into the arm of the archer. Before any of the other archers could react, Robin had already teleported away. He had teleported himself closer to the fortress, trying to see what was nearby. He saw Lyon's body standing outside of the fortress, likely wanting to be out in the open to maximize the range on his spells. Upon seeing Robin, the Demon King smirked, and raised a hand cloaked in dark energy.

A dozen or so skeletons and revenants appeared out of the ground and charged in Robin's direction. Robin hardly flinched, and summoned his Levin Sword to his hand. He immediately went to work on the only enemies that he could remove from the battlefield permanently. He was no fool, he knew that the Demon King was using them as fodder while he shot at Robin with spells, but Robin was not planning on getting hit today.

Robin teleported between two skeletons in the back. He sent a quick bolt of lightning at one before pivoting on his foot and decapitating another. He teleported out of the way of a magical attack from Lyon and stood next to a revenant, who he bisected horizontally. Taking aim, Robin shot off two more bolts of lightning at some more revenants, who fell immediately thanks to their lack of magical resistance. Robin teleported to another skeleton, only to teleport immediately again as the Demon King obliterated the skeleton and the area he had been standing in with another dark spell.

On and on this continued, with Robin dodging the Demon King's attacks while dealing with the small opposition between himself and his target. Occasionally the Demon King would bring forth more monsters for Robin to fight, hoping that he would be able to get one good shot in.

And the Demon King was correct. For whatever reason, Robin simply didn't dodge one of the Demon King's spells, and a dark ball of fire as big as a house engulfed him, leaving nothing but a cloud of dust in its wake. The Demon King heard a faint shout of shock coming from the direction of the rest of the fight, but paid it no mind. Now was the time! Now that the pesky mortal was dead, he could harvest Grima's power all for his own! He-

However, the sight before Formortiis shocked him to his very core. He saw a silhouette amidst the dust cloud, but what scared him the most was what was in front of the figure.

As the dust settled, it was obvious what had saved Robin: Protruding from the back of his right hand, a shield in the same style as the mark on the back of his hand… the mark of Grima. Robin had undergone his own change as well: he was no longer wearing a simple t-shirt and pants, he also had on a flowing purple robe, emblazoned with the eyes of Grima all over it and emanating dark magic. His hair, which he had been used to wearing as pitch black, was now the same shock-white that he had when he fought for the shepherds.

The sight of Robin in this manner made the Demon King freeze for a single moment, which was all Robin needed. Reaching into a coat pocket, Robin pulled out a small black book, and pointed his hand at the ground.

" _ **EXPIRATION!"**_ Robin called, his voice gaining a small demonic tint to it.

It took all of the Demon King's effort to dodge out of the way as large spikes of what looked like solid dark magic emerged out of the ground and skewered all of the remaining undead in the immediate vicinity. Before the Demon King could raise more, Robin was already in front of him, his sword descending down to attempt to slice him in half. However, the Demon King managed to teleport away in time.

Robin muttered something that Formortiis couldn't hear, and started running towards the Demon King. Confused, the Demon King shot a dark magic spell in Robin's direction. However, to his shock, Robin had switched out his previous spellbook for a new one. Robin cast a quick shine spell to disperse the Demon King's spell and continued to get within range of the Demon King. He shot a quick lightning bolt at his foe from his sword, but when the demon king tried to teleport out of the way, he found that he couldn't. The Demon King's eyes widened in panic and Robin smirked darkly at his opponent's expression. That was what Robin had done! The Demon King realized. He wasn't teleporting anymore because Robin had somehow prevented both of them from teleporting in this area! He grunted as he was bombarded by a bolt of lightning from Robin's sword, but Lyon's magic resistance held fast.

The Demon King attempted to turn around and run, realizing that he was outmatched without his ability to teleport, but Robin was already upon the Demon King with his sword, bringing it down diagonally and slicing Lyon's chest.

" **Ghaaaa!** " The Demon King roared, clutching his chest. However, the next moment, Robin's sword was no longer in his hand, and a spear had appeared instead. He quickly swept the demon king's legs out from underneath him and pointed the spear at the dark entity's neck.

"This should hold you." Robin muttered under his breath.

He had done it. He had beaten down the Demon King-possessed Lyon. All he had to do was wait for the others to catch up and the war would be over. He had to break his third curse in order to do it, but he still had a good two weeks left until Grima took over.

Honestly, once Robin regained his ability to use dark magic, it had been easy to deal with the Demon King. Expiration was meant to be an army killer, and even though Robin could barely use it right now, it was enough to deal with the small group that the Demon King relied on to distract his foes. Considering the fact that the Demon King was more of a manipulator behind the scenes, and Grima was most assuredly a more front lines fighter, it was not a surprise that this had been an easy victory. Especially since Robin had been bred for combat and Lyon had been a fairly gentle soul.

But this all still seemed too easy. Considering Robin's luck, it was highly unlikely that this was the end. Robin kept on his guard and started searching out with his magic for any anomalies, when he found it.

A second soul within the Demon King's body.

Lyon was alive.

Robin stared at Lyon's body wide-eyed. He held this expression for a few moments before he started laughing. Hard.

" **What's so funny?** " Formortiis growled out, the spear still pointed at his throat.

"It's just… I didn't think that you were so good an actor that you could fool Lyon as well!" Robin said with a chuckle.

Formortiis' eyes widened. " **What on earth are you talking about?! Lyon is DEAD fool!** " The Demon King roared.

Robin shook his head. "You might have fooled everyone else, but I can tell. Lyon's still in there, but barely. You're trying to convince him that he's dead, because he probably can't tell the difference, but I can. I know you can hear me Lyon, you must fight back! I can help you, but only if you take back control!"

That caused the Demon King to flinch, before Robin suddenly grabbed at his head with both hands.

 _ **As amusing as it is to see that old bat get what's coming to him… I cannot allow you to kill him just yet. I will not be sealed inside of those glorified gemstones. I will break FREE!**_ Grima roared inside Robin's mind, breaking what control Robin had over the curse that was preventing the Demon King from escaping.

Not one to turn away an opportunity, the Demon King quickly teleported as far away from Robin as possible. Robin however couldn't notice. He was too busy screaming on the ground. He was lucky that Eirika had managed to make it to Robin's position. The last thing Robin saw before he blacked out was Eirika standing protectively over his body.

When they finally managed to escort Robin to a medical tent, everyone was extremely concerned. Considering the amount of power that the tactician had been throwing around, everyone knew that he had broken another curse limiting his magical abilities. Grima was now even closer, and they all needed to hurry to Rausten before Robin was no longer in control.

* * *

When the rest of the small army asked why they were in such a hurry to reach Rausten, Ephraim explained the basics of the situation: Robin only has about a week left before Grima finally takes control of his body, and they needed to make sure that they were prepared. No one in the army knew how to actually use the sacred stone, and furthermore, no one was entirely sure that one would even work on Grima, but Robin seemed to think that it would. This only served to invigorate the rest of the army, many of whom knew Robin on a personal level and considered him a friend.

That night, after a grueling march that placed them only another day away from Rausten, the leaders of the small army assembled in the medical tent, standing over Robin as he slept off the consequences of the earlier battle.

Eirika sat right by Robin's side, refusing to leave him. Her heart had almost broken when she thought Lyon… No, the Demon King, killed him. She only imagined that it would be so much worse when the day came that Robin actually died.

She had put her feelings to the side for long enough. She had been patient, but she needed to let Robin know how she felt about him as soon as possible, before it was too late.

"I'll be honest… When I'd heard about the warmaster, I had imagined some human who could move faster than any swordsman, or hit harder than the strongest of warriors. But seeing him fight myself… I must say, I'm impressed." Seth remarked, trying to ease the tension a little bit.

Raven smiled at Seth's words. "Yeah, that's always been Robin's gift. I'm better at the big picture, but Robin… When he sees an enemy, it's like he just knows their weaknesses immediately. If I can feel the 'flow' of the battlefield and redirect it, Robin can just flow through it. He once told me that he lets his instincts take over, and from there, he just goes with the flow of battle, letting it take him to his objective. He couldn't really describe it much better than that though, so no one really understood how to replicate his ability."

Ephraim nodded. "It is impressive indeed. I cannot fathom just how strong he must have been in his prime."

Raven flinched and gave a pained smile. "Strong enough to worry the rest of the shepherds even before we knew he was Grima's vessel."

"While this is most certainly an interesting discussion, I believe we have more pressing concerns." Innes remarked.

Joshua, who had finally decided to start joining these meetings, spoke up. "Yeah, we do. First, why was no one else told that Robin was dying?"

Innes looked at Ephraim, who shrugged. The Frelian prince sighed in exasperation. "Robin didn't want anyone to treat him differently just because he was dying. We didn't tell you because we honestly didn't think that you would be joining the leadership."

Joshua nodded. "Fair enough."

"Anyways, that is not the prime concern right now. Raven. While I know your experience with dark magic is more limited than your brother's, could you estimate how much longer we have before Grima has control over Robin's body?" Innes asked.

Raven nodded. "He warned me. Based on his estimates, we should have about a week before the curse collapses." She remarked gravely.

That brought the mood in the room down. While Seth and Innes had not started out well with Robin, they now had great respect for the man, and hated that his life had been so unfair.

Ephraim and Tana hardly knew Robin, but based off what they knew of his life, they knew that he didn't deserve what was happening to him. Ephraim in particular was torn up by the news, as he had gotten to know Robin as both Mark, his sister's tactician who had helped rescue him in Grado, and Oifey, his lance instructor from two years prior, who he had learned much from. He owed Robin so much, but now that Robin needed help, Ephraim could do nothing in return.

Raven was obviously still saddened that her brother's unfortunate demise was swiftly approaching, but he had been helping her with the upcoming days, and she knew that he would want her to be strong during his final days. She would do her best to enjoy what little time she had with her brother before he was gone, and that required her to not break down every time she thought about how long he had left.

Joshua was taking the news that his friend was on his last legs very poorly, especially since he had only just now been told that particular news. He had originally been planning on inviting Robin to work for him in Jehanna when the Demon King was dead, (not that he believed that he would be able to win him over from Renais, but he would have tried) but now his friend, who he had been giving space recently, only had a week to live. He, like so many others, would now be trying to not waste what little time he had left. That was when Joshua had a moment of inspiration. When Robin knew he was going to die when he was with the shepherds, he had distanced himself from everyone who still considered him a friend. Would he do that now? Joshua narrowed his eyes. If Robin was truly that stupid, Joshua would beat it into his skull that everyone wanted to enjoy his company while they still could.

Eirika was stoic. In her mind, the way forward was clear: confess her love to Robin, and then never leave his side until… He had to go. She would not let Robin out of her sight, both on and off the battlefield.

"You know, I can just answer your questions myself…" Robin remarked, clearly amused that no one had noticed him waking up.

"Robin! You're awake!" Eirika exclaimed, gripping Robin in a tight hug, not intent on letting the tactician go anytime soon. Robin reciprocated the hug without even thinking.

"In answer to your question, I probably do have just over a week." Robin explained.

The others were slightly disturbed at how casually Robin talked about his own death, but didn't comment on it.

"Could you tell us anything about your fight with the Demon King? It looked like you were winning before you suddenly collapsed." Innes asked.

Robin nodded. "Right. Two things I need to mention: One is that Grima interfered when I was about to beat the Demon King, stalling me just long enough for the magical backlash from releasing the curse on my magic to knock me unconscious. Second: Lyon is alive. It's a close thing, but we might still be able to save him."

THAT certainly got everyone's attention. Eirika even backed away from her embrace in order to stare at Robin in shock.

"Are you sure?" Ephraim asked Robin, desperate to get his friend back.

Robin nodded. "Absolutely. Having a lot of experience with possession myself, I can guarantee you that Lyon is still in there. When we use the sacred stone on the Demon King, Lyon should regain control. He might even be able to fight the Demon King's control, but I wouldn't bet on it."

Eirika tightened her grip on Robin and buried her face in his chest. "Thank you…" She said, happy that she might get her childhood friend back.

Everyone else looked among themselves. Finally, Ephraim turned to Robin.

"We'll talk about this at another time. You should get some rest now. We're marching out immediately tomorrow morning, so get some sleep while you can."

Robin nodded. Eirika looked reluctant to leave Robin, but eventually realized that she needed to let him rest. The princess resolved that she would tell Robin how she felt when they reached Rausten the next night.

"Eirika?" Eirika heard on her way back to her tent. Quickly spinning on her foot, Eirika's eyes widened at who had talked to her.

"...Lyon?" Eirika asked.

"Eirika…" Lyon drifted off.

"Lyon, why are you here?" Eirika asked, wary that this might actually be the Demon King.

"Eirika, I don't have much time. I've managed to wrestle control from the Demon King for a few moments, but I have to hurry. Do you have the Sacred Stone?" Lyon asked.

Eirika was still suspicious, but after Robin had mentioned that Lyon was actually alive and could in theory break free of the Demon King's control, she realized that it was very possible that it might be Lyon in front of her. But still, she needed to make sure that it was her childhood friend.

"How do I know that it's you?" Eirika asked.

"Eirika please! **I don't** have much **TIME!** " Lyon shouted.

Eirika hesitated, and was about to refuse to give Lyon the Sacred Stone, but something inside of her still trusted Lyon. She felt guilty about not believing Lyon, he was her friend after all… Eirika shook her head. No. She didn't know for sure if this was Lyon, she told herself. It could be the Demon King trying to trick her.

 _ **But what if it isn't…**_ A voice in her head said, which Eirika believed was her own. _**What if this is the only chance Lyon has of being saved?**_

Eirika's thought process froze at that. Robin had told her Lyon could still be saved. He told her that she wouldn't have to lose one of her best friends.

 _ **And isn't that what you want anyways? To have your friend back?**_

Eirika found herself agreeing. She wanted her friend back, and she knew that that was possible. She quickly reached into a pouch hanging by her belt and grabbed the Sacred Stone of Renais. She looked down at it for a second, a small voice in the back of her head made her wonder if this was really a good idea…

"Hu **rry** Eirika!" Lyon shouted.

Hurrying, Eirika practically threw the stone at Lyon, who swiftly caught it. The exact moment the Sacred Stone touched Lyon's hand, his entire expression changed and Eirika instantly knew that she had made a mistake. Lyon's pained frown turned into a sickening sweet smile.

" **Why thank you princess… You have done me a great service.** " It was obviously not Lyon speaking, and Eirika quickly drew her sword.

"Give that back!" Eirika shouted.

The Demon King's grin widened to an impossibly large degree, practically splitting Lyon's face.

" **While I applaud your bravery… I'm afraid you're far too late to stop me now.** " It said, and with one swift movement, crushed the Sacred Stone with one hand.

The sound of rapid footsteps approaching reached the ears of both of them. "Eirika!" A voice shouted.

The two of them looked to the side to see Ephraim charging towards Lyon's body, his spear already in hand. However, before he could reach his target, the Demon King gave the prince of Renais a small wave before teleporting out of sight.

Ephraim came to a quick stop in front of Eirika. "Damn it! Eirika, what happened?!" Ephraim asked.

Eirika simply stared at the spot where Lyon had once been in shock. "I-I… I don't know… It all happened so fast. One moment Lyon was here… He told me that he needed the Sacred Stone to break free a-and then… Then I just felt so bad for doubting him that… That…" Eirika trailed off. The full impact of what she had just done had finally hit her. They needed that stone. They needed to have two in order to seal away both the Demon King and Grima, and now they couldn't.

Ephraim frowned at this situation. He was tempted to berate his sister, but after the talk that they had just had with Robin not moments prior, he could understand why she did what she did. Before he could voice his opinions however, another voice broke through both of their thoughts.

"It was the Demon King manipulating you." Raven's voice said.

The two looked towards the tactician in question, who had approached upon feeling the Demon King's magic in the immediate vicinity. Both the royals of Renais were obviously silently asking Raven to explain what she meant.

"I asked Robin what he knew about the Demon King, and while there wasn't much, he did know that one of the Demon King's main powers is the ability to manipulate emotions. In all likelihood, he probably just amplified the guilt that you were feeling towards Lyon's situation until you couldn't handle it." Raven explained.

That made Eirika feel a little better, but not by much. "What do we do now?" Eirika asked.

Ephraim and Raven shared a look, before Raven nodded. Ephraim faced his sister. "Not a whole lot has changed, though the end result isn't going to be… pleasant. We actually prepared for this situation, but we desperately hoped that it would never happen. We can't send Robin back to Ylisse, Grima would simply take control while over the ocean and we have no idea where he could end up if that happened. Unfortunately, the only way we know for sure to get rid of the Demon King is to seal him in a Sacred Stone, which we don't know how to create. So our only option is to eliminate the Demon King as quickly as possible, and then try to contact Ylisse and hold off Grima until they can arrive with Falchion."

Eirika stared at the ground where shards of the Sacred Stone of Renais could still be seen. After a few moments, she nodded. "I'll… Be in my tent." She said, having finally found her voice again.

Ephraim and Raven watched the princess walk away, and Raven sighed. "She's going to be feeling the effects of that for a while, especially since my brother is out of commission tonight."

Ephraim nodded in response. "I hope that she can get through this… But with Robin's demise approaching… If she survives the coming days, I worry how this will affect her mind."

Raven nodded solemnly. "I understand. From what I heard, Morgan-" Raven started, before her eyes widened in shock and she stopped talking.

Ephraim raised an eyebrow in confusion. "Who is Morgan? I don't recall hearing of anyone by that name."

Raven looked extremely conflicted. While Robin hadn't explicitly told Raven to keep Morgan's existence a secret, considering that he was distancing himself from Eirika, it was obvious that he would prefer to keep it that way. However, Raven decided that Ephraim needed to know, since her existence directly impacted Eirika.

The tactician sighed. "Do you recall when we mentioned our stories, how a number of shepherds had children come from the future?" Raven asked. When Ephraim nodded in response, Raven continued. "Morgan is Robin's daughter, whom he forgot about until just after we received the Sacred Stone… Because he recognized Eirika's sword… From when Morgan was holding it."

Ephraim's eyes widened. "But that means-!" He exclaimed.

Raven nodded. "Unfortunately, from what we know of time travel, it is only attempted in the absolute worst case scenario, and considering the fact that none of the others who came back in time had amnesia like Morgan, Robin and I assume that her future was somehow bleaker than Lucina's. However, because Morgan lost her memory, the only thing that we know about that future is that Robin and Eirika were together at some point. Because that's the only event we are certain happened, that is the only thing we can change."

Ephraim rubbed his forehead in exasperation. "So Robin loves my sister… But won't confess to her because he has to change the future… It's not even guaranteed to change anything…" Ephraim let out a long, tired sigh. "It almost feels like some kind of higher power has something against your brother. There's no other explanation for all of this."

Raven nodded her head in agreement, but didn't say anything further. She hadn't gotten used to her brother's unfortunate fate, but she knew that he would want her to remain strong until everything was fine again. Until Grima and the Demon King were once again dealt with, she would not be able to grieve.

The two commanders decided that they would update the other leaders of their force in the morning with what had happened that night. They bid each other goodnight and headed to their respective tents.

* * *

"So… We're down to one Sacred Stone now…" Innes summed up. "And we have no choice but to simply deal with Grima when he arrives?"

Ephraim sighed. "Yes, unfortunately. Raven and I couldn't come up with a better solution."

Robin closed his eyes and took in a deep breath. They had barely rested the night prior, and they were now having their meeting near the back of their convoy. They couldn't afford to waste time standing around when they needed to get to Rausten as fast as possible.

"Well… I have some good news at least." Robin finally said. He had been silent since Eirika's interaction with Lyon had been mentioned.

Everyone looked at Robin with desperate eyes, craving any form of hope that they could receive at that moment.

Robin shook his head. "It's not a solution to anything, but… When Grima takes control of me, he won't have his dragon form. It's not much, since he can still use almost all of his power through my body, but it's not like you'll be facing hordes of Risen all of a sudden. You'll have some time to get the Ylissean's help before he manages to gather his power enough to recreate his dragon form."

Everyone regarded that information for a few moments. "How strong would he be? Compare him to Grima's vessel that we fought in the final battle." Raven requested.

"Oh, much stronger than that. At the time, Grima was using a ton of magic to keep his dragon form stable and keeping all of his Risen under control, so he was only using… Maybe a quarter of his total power? When he reappears, it could be anything between a half to three quarters of his full power, depending on how much of me is still left inside of this body when he takes control of it. I can almost guarantee you that he'll be able to use expiration though, so that's going to be difficult to deal with."

It was. While it was good news that they wouldn't be facing a giant dragon with scales that were tough enough to not let weapons penetrate it, the fact that Grima would be able to use a spell designed to wipe out armies was worrying. The only reason why they had been able to approach Grima in the first place was because Naga somehow managed to suppress Grima's usage of the spell to the point where he could barely use it.

"However, if I'm still in control, I should be able to limit his usage of the spell, or at least make it so it takes him longer to use it, which should give you time to interrupt him." Robin added. "But that's only if I can retain control, and we have no idea if that's going to be the case."

While Robin had given them a tiny bit of hope, they all knew that their situation was dire. It was likely a month's journey to Ylisse, so Grima would have roughly two months of destruction before he could be stopped. On top of that, Rausten had no ships that could sail to the Ylissean continent, so they would have to make it back to Carcino before they could even attempt the journey, and odds were not bad that Grima might catch on to what they were attempting and stop it before they could get very far.

Sighing, Ephraim decided to end the meeting there. "We all have a lot to think about. We need to get to Rausten as quickly as possible. We'll reconvene when we get there." Ephraim said in response.

Everyone nodded in response. They knew that they had a lot to talk about, but they had to get the Sacred Stone first before they could decide on anything. If they didn't make it to the Sacred Stone in time, then the whole continent, if not the whole world was doomed. There was no other known way of defeating the Demon King, and no one knew how the Sacred Stones were originally created.

Eirika looked back towards Robin, and was about to try to talk to him by herself. She wanted to confess to the tactician before they reached Rausten. She wanted to enjoy the last few days that they had left together as much as she could. However, just before she could approach Robin, Ephraim spoke up.

"Robin, I still need to talk to you about some things. Mind keeping towards the back with me?" Ephraim asked.

Robin nodded at Ephraim's question, which made Eirika deflate. Robin sent Eirika an apologetic look and guided his horse towards the crown prince. Eirika looked at the two sadly as they moved out of hearing range, then sighed and moved towards the middle of the convoy, giving the two some privacy.

"What do you need Ephraim?" Robin asked.

"Nothing actually. Raven told me about Morgan last night, and I just saw that my sister wanted to talk to you and figured that it would be easier for the both of you if she didn't confess." Ephraim explained.

Robin's eyes widened and he recoiled. "I… See. I suppose I should thank you."

Ephraim gave Robin a sad smile. "Well, it's the least I could do. You've helped my sister and myself more than I could ever put into words. I just wish there was more I could do."

Robin sighed. "Look, don't pity me too much. Even if I didn't get to do everything that I wanted in life, I made a difference in this world, and people are going to miss me when I pass on. I've learned to be satisfied with that much. It shows I mattered."

Before Ephraim could say anymore, Robin continued. "I also held back some information in our last meeting… Mostly because I didn't want to get people's hopes up."

Ephraim perked up at that. "Well, don't keep me waiting, we could use some good news right now."

Robin scratched his head. "Well, the situation with Grima isn't completely hopeless. I have managed to put some curses on myself that might stop Grima for a short while, which should give you all time to escape."

Ephraim furrowed his brows. "Can you give me any specifics?"

Robin shook his head. "No. When I put them on myself, I wiped them from my memory, so that Grima wouldn't have knowledge of them either. I don't actually know what curses I used, but I can guess."

Ephraim's eyes widened. "This is why you can't kill anymore, isn't it?"

Robin nodded positively. "Almost certainly. I don't know the specific curse, but I have a guess or two. Just be careful. While Grima won't be able to kill, he'll still be able to severely injure you."

"We will, don't worry." Ephraim remarked.

Robin let out a deep breath. "That's it really. No other plans, no more tactics for fighting what we're up against. It's all up to chance from here on out really."

Ephraim shook his head. "We can't afford to think like that. If we already think we lost, then we really have."

Robin stared at Ephraim for a few moments. "It's words like that that remind me you and Eirika are siblings." Robin turned his gaze to stare at Eirika.

"Ephraim, promise me something… Because I really need this."

"Anything within my power, you have my word I will make it happen." Ephraim responded.

Robin sighed. "Well, it's two things really… The first is to tell Eirika why I did what I did, and the second… The second is to find Morgan and introduce the two to each other. Morgan will need her mother… And Eirika will need someone to help her through my death."

Ephraim nodded immediately. "I was planning on doing those things actually. While my sister has many friends around her, I know that once she learns of Morgan, she will want to connect."

Robin didn't say anything, but his shoulders let loose a little tension. "That… Thank you Ephraim. I would ask my sister, but I don't think Eirika has forgiven my sister just yet."

Ephraim looked at Robin. "Why is that anyways? You never told me your full story."

Robin chuckled. "Did I not? Well, I guess we have the time right now. It goes like this: I woke up in a field, with no memories…"

* * *

Eirika had been riding alone the entire trip. Well, not alone. Joshua was riding alongside her, and Marisa was always next to Joshua, but they had both been silent. Both Eirika and Joshua had been waiting for Robin to finish his talks with Ephraim, but he hadn't. For some reason, Ephraim and Robin had continued to talk for the entire journey to Rausten, which annoyed Eirika a little bit. This was one of her last few days with Robin, and she wanted to spend at least some of it with him.

Joshua mirrored her thoughts. Because he had been such a wreck after Jehanna, he was not at the meeting where Robin had announced that he barely had any time left to live, and hadn't been told so until after the fight against the Demon King. He hadn't talked to his friend in quite some time, and now he might not have many chances left. He knew that Eirika wanted some time alone with Robin, but Joshua also wanted to talk to his friend while he still could.

When they arrived at Rausten, Robin stayed behind, and both Joshua and Eirika struck at the opportunity that was provided to them. They didn't need all of their leaders during the handover of the Sacred Stone after all.

"Robin!" The two shouted at the same time. Approaching Robin, who had been sitting on a bench in the courtyard of the palace.

He turned to them and smiled. "Hey there. How's it going?"

"'How's it going'? You're DYING and you didn't tell me, and the first thing you say is 'How's it going'?" Joshua shouted.

Robin flinched. "Well, when you put it THAT way…"

Joshua glared at Robin for a few moments before sighing. "Look Robin, I know that you don't have time left, so I really don't want to spend most of it being angry at you. I just want to talk, like we always have. Is that alright?"

Robin gave Joshua another smile. "Of course it is Josh. I'm always willing to talk with you."

"Does that offer include me?" Eirika asked as well. While she had wanted to spend time with Robin alone, she knew that Joshua also needed to spend some time with him.

Robin nodded, his smile only getting wider. "Always. The two of you have been my best friends in the last year, and I'm not going to give that up now."

Joshua and Eirika smiled at Robin's words, and sat on either side of him. Eirika leaned her head on Robin's shoulder, earning a raised eyebrow from both Joshua and Robin. Joshua grinned like a madman while Robin tried to keep his expression kept on the smile that he had previously.

Joshua suddenly took note of Marisa, who was standing in the corner of the courtyard, arms crossed.

"Marisa, come and join us!" Joshua shouted.

Marisa made no movement to indicate that she would do so, though she clearly heard the king of Jehanna.

Robin chuckled. "Not much for conversation, is she?" Robin asked.

Joshua shook his head and sighed. "No, and no matter how much I try, she doesn't open up to anyone but myself." He turned to face Robin. "Did I tell you that I sort-of proposed to her?"

Both Eirika and Robin's eyes widened in shock. "WHAT?!" They exclaimed.

Joshua nodded. "Well, yeah. It wasn't really a 'proposal' per se. We aren't a couple yet…" He trailed off, somewhat confused.

"Are we?" He asked Marisa, genuinely not knowing the answer to the question.

Marisa sent Joshua a stare that somehow communicated 'are-you-seriously-asking-me-how-should-I-know' without the use of movement.

Joshua sighed. "Yeah, I guess that's fair. Alright, we're a couple. That just makes it easier. I asked her to stay in Jehanna with me. She… Agreed. Considering how close we've been since reuniting, I'm pretty confident that we'll live the rest of our lives together."

He turned to face Marisa again. "After all, she just can't live without me, isn't that right Marisa?" he teased.

"Correct." Marisa responded.

Everyone's eyes widened in shock at Marisa's blunt statement, but none more so than Joshua.

"Umm… Wow. Wasn't expecting that, but thank you Marisa. I… Won't leave you again." He said, trying to sound romantic in this incredibly awkward moment.

"Good." Marisa said.

Robin and Eirika both laughed nervously at Marisa's words and changed the subject to avoid Joshua from making the conversation even more awkward.

The trio (because let's be honest, Marisa didn't contribute much) continued talking until the sun finished setting.

"Well." Joshua commented. "I think it's time for me to get some sleep. I'll talk to you both in the morning, alright?" Getting nods of confirmation, Joshua walked towards the guest rooms where their small army was going to be staying, with Marisa following on his heels.

Robin got up from the bench. "I think I'm going to head to bed as well. Good night Eirika."

Eirika felt a small pain in her chest at that. Robin hadn't even asked Eirika if she wanted to spend the night with him. They had done so every night until… Renais. That was when the tradition had stopped, and Eirika didn't know why. Regardless, she reached her hands out to Robin's shoulders and held him in place.

Robin quickly panicked. He had a feeling he knew what was going to happen next, and he didn't have the heart to tell Eirika that they couldn't be together, even if it was only for a few days. "Eirika…?" He started.

"Robin… I…" Eirika was about to confess, when the two heard a loud explosion coming from inside of the palace.

Robin quickly turned on his heel, almost glad for the distraction. "Come on Eirika! We have to find out what that was!" He shouted.

Eirika stared as Robin ran off towards the explosion, before she narrowed her eyes in anger. She wasn't angry at Robin, no. She was angry at whoever had just interrupted the moment when she was about to confess to the man that she loved. She unsheathed her rapier and followed after Robin. She needed to vent some anger, and the Demon King's minions would do.

* * *

There were so many. Eirika had no idea that there were this many mages in existence, let alone employed by the Demon King. Worse still, there were a large number of monsters thrown into the midst to protect the mages as they hurdled spell after spell at the walls of the palace. They had already breached the outer walls, and were now working on the inner ones. There were so many spells whirling past the army that they simply couldn't approach the mass of mages and were forced to take cover near the throne room, where the leaders were convening to figure out what to do.

"The Rausten knights were meant to patrol our borders to make sure that the Remnants of Grado's forces wouldn't attempt to invade! How were we supposed to know that the Demon King had been resurrected?!" The king of Rasten shouted.

Ephraim shook his head. "We're sorry. We should have sent a messenger ahead of us, but we didn't expect the Demon King to attack us before we could make it to Darkling Woods."

The king sighed. "I suppose that you are right. Still, it is now only a matter of time before they collapse the throne room on our heads. Your fighters haven't been able to make it through and the skies aren't safe enough for any fliers to get by. I heard there was a small force of foreign troops in the nearby port town, but we wouldn't be able to get a messenger through to them asking for their assistance in time."

Innes fumed. "There MUST be something we can do! We've come too far to lose now! We're one final step away from sealing the demon King away with the last Sacred Stone, I refuse to lose now!"

Raven looked around the room, trying to think of a way out of this mess that they had found themselves in. While their ranged units could get off a few shots at the enemy mages, the difference in firepower was obvious, and their archers couldn't get a shot in because of the enemy monsters. Once the inner walls were breached, it would only be a matter of time before the enemy simply collapsed the rest of the palace on their head. If only they…

Raven's thoughts cut off when she realized something. Her brother wasn't in the room.

"Where's Robin gone?" Raven asked, suddenly having a bad feeling.

That snapped everyone out of their thoughts, and Eirika frantically looked around the room. She unsheathed her sword and ran out of the door to the throne room.

"Eirika!" Ephraim shouted at his sister, who ignored him in favor of trying to find Robin. She had a bad feeling about what was about to happen.

As soon as she opened the door, she looked around and all of Eirika's army was looking in the same place. Following their gaze, she saw Robin, standing behind a wall, dark energy flowing out of his body as he had his eyes closed in concentration.

It took only a moment for Eirika to realize what Robin was doing. "Robin, NO!" Eirika shouted.

But it was too late. Eirika could practically FEEL the curse that held back Grima's power break, letting loose an aura of dread throughout the entire area. Eirika felt as if Robin had suddenly become hopelessness personified. She felt all of her dreams shatter, all of her doubts come rushing to the surface-

And then, as soon as the aura had appeared, it had faded, and Robin opened his eyes, took a deep breath, and calmly strode towards the field of battle. He raised up his right hand as he walked towards the enemy mages, a purple shield in the shape of Grima's mark once again appearing to protect him from enemy spells. Just as the shield looked like it was about to fade, Robin said one word that made the entire battlefield freeze.

" **Expiration."** He intoned calmly, his voice having taken on the same demonic tone that he had used when he last used the spell.

Before anyone could react, thousands of spikes of dark magic erupted from the ground underneath the enemy forces, skewering them all in a grotesque display of absolute power. The spikes didn't fade away immediately afterwards however. Instead, a voice started talking again.

" **Quite the beautiful sight…"** It said.

Robin turned his head over his shoulder and gave a smile. It was when Robin smiled that Eirika knew that whatever had just talked wasn't Robin. Robin's smiles made her feel like she could take on the world, like she knew that Robin believed that she could do anything she put her mind to if she wanted to. But this… Thing. It's smile didn't do that.

This thing's smile told her to run. As far and as fast as she could. It told her that she was nowhere near strong enough to stay, that all of the training that Robin had helped her with was useless against its power.

" **Oh, don't worry everyone. I'm sure I'll see you soon…"** The voice said, before descending into hysterical laughter.

And then, as suddenly as it had appeared, it had stopped. Robin collapsed bonelessly to the ground and all of the spikes that he had appeared simply faded, dropping the corpses of the enemy army unceremoniously onto the ground. Eirika rushed forwards to Robin and placed his head in her lap as she checked him over for any injuries.

The rest of the leaders sans Raven were in a state of shock. "THAT was expiration?!" Ephraim shouted.

Raven nodded. "Yes. It was meant to be Grima's main way of taking out armies. When we fight Grima again, I have no doubts that he won't lead with that."

Seth flinched. "Gods, how are we supposed to beat that?! He would eliminate us in a second!"

Ephraim shook his head. "Not quite. Robin told me in secret that he believes he might have found a way around that."

Everyone turned to Ephraim. "Well, why didn't he tell us that in the first place?!" Innes growled.

"Because he wasn't sure it would work, and didn't want to get your hopes up. But we need hope going into Darkling Woods tomorrow." Ephraim explained.

"Hope…" A new voice said, one that Raven immediately recognized. She gasped and spun on her heel, eyes widening at the figure before her. The others turned and were equally surprised by who they saw.

"I do believe we can help you with that." Chrom said, standing in front of his shepherds.

 **A/N:**

 ***Sigh* I doubt I'm ever going to be satisfied with this chapter, but I think this will be the closest that I ever get to it. I wanted Robin's fight against the Demon King to be cooler than it actually was, but… That's how it turned out.**

 **So, I have a few things to say. First of all, thank you guys for all of your positive reviews, and for your support. Really, I wouldn't have written as much as I have if it wasn't for all of you. The next chapter will be the last one, and then I'll be switching stories. I'll be talking about what's next further on in the author's notes, because I'll probably be finished with the first chapter of that before I finish with the next chapter of The King's Tactician. The reason? Well, the next chapter of The King's Tactician is almost certainly going to be the last, so I want to already be invested in a new story so I keep writing.**

 **Now, some of you might think that these last two chapters are moving too fast. And while I agree that things are moving fast, I literally couldn't think of anything else to put in to make this chapter feel better. Robin is intentionally distancing himself from everyone as much as he can get away with, and the general hopeless feeling right now isn't really going to incline people to start chatting away.**

 **Now, for those interested, my next fanfic is going to be a RWBY self-insert. Sorry if that isn't your cup of tea, but the idea wouldn't leave my head. I hope those of you who have read this story will at least consider trying my new story when it comes out. I think that I've got a good idea, and I want to put it out there.**

 **Now, in regards to Chance for Redemption, I should mention that the story is NOT dead. However, between starting up my new story and finishing up this one, I don't see myself going back to it anytime soon. My timeframe for an update with that story is by the end of February, and I probably will only have one chapter every few months.**

 **The title of the chapter is the way it is because that is the song that I listened to whenever I thought about this part of the story. It's a song by Two Steps From Hell called -you guessed it!-** _ **Blackheart**_ **. Feel free to check it out. I'm almost tempted to use it as a theme song for Robin, but I think the song that I use for the final chapter would fit better.**

 **Finally, I am going to update my profile to include some things I learned about writing fanfiction that I felt I should have kept in mind while writing The King's Tactician, so if you're thinking about writing a story, feel free to check that out! Maybe it'll help.**


	20. Flight of the Silverbird

"Chrom!" Raven shouted, rushing towards her husband. She barreled into Chrom and wrapped him in a tight hug. Chrom managed to catch his tactician in time, and smiled when she reached him.

"Hello dear. I'm sorry it took us so long to find you, but you didn't make it easy on us." Chrom replied.

Ephraim looked relieved at Chrom's sudden appearance. "You have no idea how good it is to see you your majesty. I cannot stress just how much your presence means to us."

Chrom raised an eyebrow. "I heard things were bad with Grado, but surely you would have handled it by now? I'd heard of the capital's fall."

Innes was the one who shook his head. "Unfortunately, we have much worse problems than Grado right now. We're facing a being from the legends of our people, the Demon King. We have figured out a way to seal him away again, but… Well, we have… Other problems that require your assistance."

Chrom narrowed his eyes in questioning. "What do you mean?" He felt Raven suddenly stiffen in his arms, but disregarded that for the moment.

Innes and Ephraim looked at each other, and Ephraim sighed sadly. "I think it's best if you come see for yourself…" Ephraim said, waving Chrom to follow him.

Curious, Chrom separated himself from Raven, but not before giving his wife a small peck on the forehead. She smiled back at her husband, but Chrom could tell that it wasn't completely genuine. Something was upsetting Raven, and he would ask her what it was at a later moment in time.

Following Ephraim, Chrom eventually came to a courtyard. What he saw there made him freeze. It wasn't the field of corpses on the other side, no. It was the two people in the middle of it. A man with shocking white hair like his wife's, and a woman with the same hair color and sword as Morgan. He didn't expect to see Robin here so soon, but he especially didn't expect to meet Morgan's mother.

He heard footsteps approaching from behind, and saw Raven walk up to him.

"Raven, is that…?" He asked.

Raven nodded. "Yes. Morgan's parents." She said, confirming both of Chrom's questions at the same time. She looked at her husband with sad eyes. "He knows. And he acted accordingly, unfortunately."

Chrom simply nodded. He knew that Raven had come over to Magvel to find Robin in the first place, and after Raven had explained all of Robin's actions, he had agreed to follow her, but he could not leave with her at first, since he needed to assign a regent in his place. While Lissa might have been the first suggestion for most, he knew that she wouldn't have accepted it. Eventually, they managed to find a suitable regent that took his place while he assisted his wife. Of course when this happened, the rest of the shepherds demanded to know what was going on, and what Robin had really done, which made everyone feel immensely guilty, so they followed Chrom.

This included the blue-haired daughter of the tactician, but she was luckily not in the palace right now.

"Raven, would you mind explaining the situation to me? I feel like I need to be brought up to speed." Chrom asked.

Eirika watched as the newcomers came into the courtyard, still cradling Robin's head in her lap, having not wanted to move him. Joshua had appeared by her side with Marisa only a few moments ago, but they too had been focused on the group that had just appeared.

"Who are they?" Eirika asked her brother as he approached.

Ephraim looked back and saw that Chrom was now talking with Raven, so he would have to do the introductions.

"That… Is Exalt Chrom of Ylisse… And his shepherds." Ephraim explained.

Eirika held Robin's head closer to his chest and glared in the direction of the shepherds. Robin had told her how they had treated him, and while Robin didn't hold anything against them, she certainly did. It was the same situation with Raven, really. On top of that… Eirika could see a sword sheathed on Chrom's belt, and could only assume that the Exalt had brought Falchion with him.

They were going to kill Robin.

Joshua actually growled in the direction of the shepherds, and even Marisa narrowed her eyes, which surprised everyone there. While Marisa was wary of Robin, she still greatly respected him as a warrior and as a man that had gone through too much in his lifetime.

"They're here to kill him… Aren't they?" Eirika asked.

Ephraim was silent for a few moments. He had obviously heard Robin's tale as well, but knew that he couldn't afford to turn away allies when they needed them so desperately at this moment.

"I don't think so. From what Chrom said, I think they were just following Raven. I don't think they even knew that Grima was alive. But now that they're here, I fear that they will have to." Ephraim said solemnly.

Eirika started sobbing. "I don't want him to go…" She started. "I still haven't told him… How much he means to me."

Ephraim flinched at Eirika's words. He knew what Eirika wanted to do, but he didn't know how to tell her about Morgan's existence. He knew that Eirika would ignore the implications of Morgan's existence and convince Robin to do the same, but was that a good idea? They didn't know if they had fixed the problem in Morgan's timeline, so they had to assume that they hadn't. It was hard to keep his niece's existence a secret from his own sister, but he knew that he had to for the sake of the world.

No one had any words to say in response to Eirika's statement. They simply moved Robin's unconscious body to a bed. Eirika obviously refused to leave him, and both Joshua and Marisa were making sure that Robin wouldn't get killed while he was sleeping. They both understood that Robin would have to die in order to prevent Grima from taking over the world, but they at least wanted to say goodbye to him before that happened.

Eventually, the door opened again, and a man and a woman stepped through. The man had the same white hair that Robin himself possessed, and the woman had bright pink hair. It was obvious that the man was some form of dark mage, but the woman was dressed similar to Gerik's wife Tethys.

"It's really him…" The woman said, her voice barely above a whisper. She was obviously greatly affected seeing Robin again, but the mage put an arm around her shoulder and gave a large smile.

"Nya ha ha! Of course Robin's alive! I told you, didn't I?" The man asked.

The woman nodded in response, and Eirika had had enough of them being there. Honestly, she just wanted them to leave. "Excuse me, but who are you?" Eirika asked.

The man with white hair looked at Eirika, and his smile twitched down slightly for a second, before going back to an ear-splitting grin.

"Hi there! The name's Henry, and this here is my wife Olivia! It's great to meet you guys! I mean, I knew that Robin wasn't dead, but seeing him fight zombies again, and without me?! You guys must be pretty special to replace little old me!"

Olivia shook her head. "What he means is that he's pleased to meet you, and that he appreciates you all looking out for Robin when we couldn't." Olivia explained.

Joshua's eyes narrowed in anger. "From how Robin explained it, you two abandoned him after Validar took control of him. I don't know about you, but that doesn't count as 'best friend material' in my book." Joshua said, keeping a hand on the hilt of his sword.

Olivia started crying at Joshua's words, and Henry's smile faded a bit.

"Heh heh… Guess we did kind of mess up, huh?" Henry pondered.

"What happened?" Eirika asked. "I know that you and Robin were very close. Surely you knew that he wasn't what everyone else thought he was?"

Olivia wiped a tear from her eye. "It's… Because of Inigo, our son from the future. The other future children didn't like how close to Robin we were, and there were a few who were going as far as to make him choose between us and his friends. We couldn't force him to make that decision, so we stayed away from Robin for his sake."

Henry chuckled. "Yeah… Rock, hard place, you know how it is."

"Yes, I think I do Henry." Robin said.

Everyone spun to look at Robin now that he was awake. "Robin!" Everyone shouted. Except Marisa, she just stared.

"Hey everyone. Sorry about that, but we were in a bad situation there and I needed to break one of the last curse slots to deal with it." Robin explained.

"We know Robin. You did what you had to do. We'll go tell the others that you're awake." Joshua said, walking out the door, with Marisa following behind him, though not before nodding at Robin.

Robin chuckled. "I think that means that Marisa approves of me."

Eirika smiled at Robin's attempt to lighten the mood. She looked at the other two occupants of the room, Robin's old friends, and saw that they didn't want to leave. Unfortunately, she had something that she really needed to tell Robin, and she didn't want to do it in front of strangers.

"Would you two mind giving us some privacy for a moment? We won't need too long." Eirika requested.

Henry and Olivia looked at Robin, who looked confused for a brief moment before suddenly catching on to what Robin was doing. His eyes widened in panic, and he tried to subtly shake his head while staring at the two, but they knew their hands were tied. Not only was Eirika in charge of the army and royalty, but from what they had heard from Raven, she was also Robin's closest companion after he died against Grima. Raven even said that he loved her, which was something that Henry and Olivia had assumed would never happen, even with the existence of Morgan.

Olivia sighed, and sent Robin an apologetic look. "Alright, we'll be just outside, but we'll give you some privacy. Just let us know when you're done." She said, as she walked out the door.

Henry lingered behind for a few seconds, his constant smile having disappeared. He wanted to stick around, to prevent his buddy from having to go through what he knew could potentially break the tactician mentally. However, Olivia physically dragged Henry out of the room and closed the door behind them.

Robin squeezed his eyes shut and took a deep breath.

"Robin?" Eirika asked. "Are you alright?" Her voice was laced with so much concern that Robin felt he had no choice but to tell her that he was alright.

He opened his eyes, and wished that he hadn't. Eirika's face was mere inches away from his own, and the concern that had laced her voice was startlingly evident in her light blue eyes.

Robin gave her a weak smile. "I'm just fine, Eirika. Don't worry about me."

Eirika shook her head. "I will always worry about you Robin…" She started. She took a calming breath of her own, and then decided that it was now or never. "Robin… There's something that I need to tell you…"

Robin froze. He knew that she was likely to talk about when she asked for privacy, but that didn't mean he was any more ready for the conversation that he knew was approaching.

 _Please no._ Robin thought to himself.

"I…" Eirika continued, unaware of Robin's growing trepidation.

 _Don't do this, please for the love of all the gods in the cosmos, don't do this._

"I… Have always thought of you as my greatest friend."

 _If there is a divine being out there, please don't let this happen, I beg of you._

"But for a while now… My feelings for you have grown."

 _No._

"Robin… I love you." Eirika finished.

There was silence in the room for a few moments, and Robin was silently cursing any gods that he could deem to remember at the time.

"... Robin?" Eirika asked, somewhat hurt that he hadn't said or done anything yet.

"Eirika… I…" Robin started.

 _I love you too._

 _It took me so long to realize, but you are what has kept me going for so long._

 _You are my dream._

 _You are why I fight._

 _You are my ultimate goal._

 _We have a child._

 _She is beautiful, just like yourself._

 _She is an angel, just like yourself._

 _And she cares far too much about me considering what I am..._

 _Just like yourself._

That was what he wanted to say, but what he ended up saying hurt both of them far more than anything else they had felt.

"Eirika… I'm sorry…" Robin said.

Eirika's heart broke, and her mind almost shut down. She hadn't expected Robin to refuse her. How could she? All the signs were there! Her mind grabbed onto an idea. Maybe… Maybe he was just saving her from heartbreak! Yes, that must be it. Robin was selfless like that, he probably just didn't want her to feel sad when he passed away!

"Robin, I don't care if you're going to die soon! I'm going to feel sad no matter what, so I want to enjoy what time I have left with you as much as I can!" She exclaimed.

Robin took a shuddering breath, and prepared to do the cruelest thing he had done in his entire life…

"Eirika, that's not the problem… I just… Don't feel that way about you." Robin said.

He had done it. He had lied to Eirika. Eirika, the woman he loved, the woman he had promised his life to, the woman that he would have had a child with, in another life. The woman who he would have gladly grown old with, if it wasn't for the machinations of higher powers. He had never lied to her before, and now he had to do it in order to keep her and the rest of the world alive.

Internally, his emotional side argued that there was very little chance that being with Eirika would actually end in the destruction of the world, and the fact that Morgan came back in the first place might have changed enough. Robin almost listened to that side of himself, embraced Eirika and apologized, but his logical side argued back that they were dealing with the fate of the entire world, and couldn't afford even the smallest of chances. Unfortunately, the logical side won, since it argued that Eirika would also die if the world was destroyed, and that only served to strengthen Robin's resolve.

"No…" Eirika whispered. Her eyes started tearing up. "You're lying! Stop lying to me Robin!" She shouted. "S-stop… Stop lying…." She said, her voice cracking halfway through her sentence.

When Robin kept a stoic expression on his face, Eirika burst into tears and rushed out of the room, throwing the door open and running down the corridor.

As soon as Robin was sure she left, his own tears started falling down his face, he sat up and dangled his legs off the side of the breath. He took a deep breath to try to calm himself, but it didn't accomplish anything.

"Gods DAMMIT!" He shouted, punching the wall by his headrest, accidentally punching straight through the wood and to the other side.

Tears fell from the eyes of the warmaster. He hunched over and grabbed the sides of his head, sobbing uncontrollably. All the stress had finally become too much for Robin, and he broke down for the first time in his life.

It was at that moment that the door opened again, and Henry and Olivia stepped through. Olivia immediately rushed to Robin's side and hugged him tightly as he cried his eyes out.

Henry stared at Robin for a few moments. While normally very happy, he couldn't bear to see his best friend like this. Robin was normally so strong mentally, physically, and emotionally. To see him… Broken like this… Henry just didn't have the words to describe it.

Henry knew that Olivia would be all the comfort that Robin needed, and Henry would be of more use preventing other people from seeing Robin like this. Henry grinned at the thought of people trying to enter without Robin agreeing.

Oh yes… There would be blood.

* * *

Joshua was leading Ephraim, Innes, Raven and Chrom to Robin's room so that they could determine what their next course of action was. When they were about to get close however, they heard a pair of voices.

"Let me through! I will see him answer for what he's done!" One voice, who Joshua immediately identified as Seth's, said.

"Well, I want to see how the walls look like when they've got your blood coating it! But hey, we can't always get what we want, right? Nya ha ha!" Another voice, that Joshua recognized as Henry, replied.

The sound of a sword unsheathing filled the hallways, causing the small group to pick up their pace.

"Let me through now, or you will share his fate!" Seth roared.

As they rounded the corner, they could see Henry enveloped in dark energy, but his smile was still plastered on his face.

"Wanna die? Please? It'd make me happy!"

"ENOUGH!" Ephraim shouted. "Stand down, BOTH OF YOU!"

The two of them looked at the King of Renais. Seth sheathed his sword, and Henry simply sent a shrug Ephraim's way, but the dark energy didn't disappear.

"Henry, please stand down." Raven asked.

Henry's smile looked a little bit more forced now, but he shook his head.

"No can do, boss lady. My buddy's not… Doing great right now. Soooo… Because I haven't been the best bud I could have been, I'm making up for it now!" The energy around Henry intensified, and his smile widened. "Anyone want to try to get past me? Come on, just one! The walls aren't even red yet! It's not natural."

Before Henry could continue ranting, they all heard a voice from inside the room.

"Henry… It's alright. Let them in."

Henry froze. His smile faded, and a look of genuine concern replaced it. He turned towards the door. "Are you sure Rob?"

"Yeah Henry, I'm sure."

Henry sighed. "Aw man. I reeeeally wanted to show Robin how great a bud I was…"

He turned to the rest of them. "Well, guess I'll have to do that later. Let's go in." Henry said, opening the door and walking into the room.

After a few exchanged glances, the group walked in after Henry, though Marisa and Seth kept their hands on the hilt of their swords.

As soon as they walked into the room, they saw Olivia sitting next to Robin on the bed. She was still hugging him tightly, but Robin looked significantly worse than when Joshua had last seen him not even five minutes ago.

His eyes were burning red, and there was a trail of mostly-dried tears coming out of both of them. However, that wasn't what caught Joshua's attention the most. No, that was Robin's posture. Normally Robin kept his back straight, and even when sitting down, you knew that he wasn't the type to just let the world roll over him without a fight.

Now, with his shoulders slumped and his back hunched, it looked like Robin had given up that fight. Like all he wanted to do was just roll over so that the world would stop doing it to him.

"Robin… What happened man?" Joshua asked.

Robin looked up at Joshua. His eyes looked exceptionally tired, more so than Joshua could ever truly remember seeing the tactician. Robin didn't say anything though, he simply looked at Raven, who sighed.

"You rejected Eirika, didn't you?" Raven asked.

"WHAT?!" Joshua and Innes shouted. And while she didn't speak up, Marisa's eyes widened to impossible levels because of the shock.

However, no one else in the room reacted in any way to this, which caused Joshua to immediately get suspicious.

"Alright, what's going on here? Anyone with half a brain can see how much Eirika means to Robin…" Robin choked back a sob at that. "... So why is no one surprised that he rejected her?"

Raven looked at her brother for a while, who simply turned his head to look at the ground.

"Because of Morgan." Raven said simply, which brought confused looks from not only Joshua and Marisa, but Seth and Innes as well.

"Who's Morgan?" Joshua asked.

Raven sighed. "Morgan… Is Robin and Eirika's daughter from the future." She let the shock settle in on the four in their group who hadn't been made aware of that situation. "She came from a different future than the rest of the shepherd's children, but doesn't remember anything. From what little we know of time travel, we know that her future must have been even worse than the rest of the children's… But we didn't know anything that happened… Except for one thing."

Ephraim nodded. "Robin and Eirika had a child together."

Joshua snapped his attention to Ephraim. "You knew this?!" He shouted.

Ephraim nodded. "Raven told me last night… Right after we lost the Sacred Stone of Renais. We didn't want the news spreading back to Eirika, so I didn't tell anyone."

Seth narrowed his eyes. "Why wouldn't we tell the princess that she has a daughter?" He asked.

Raven was the one who answered Seth's question. "We plan to tell the princess after we defeat Grima and the Demon King. Unfortunately, Robin believed that if Eirika knew what the problem really was, she would be able to convince him to be with her anyways, which would be us throwing away the only possible thing we can do to avoid Morgan's future."

As they absorbed the information, Robin turned his head up to face Chrom. "Are you here to kill me Chrom?"

Chrom looked torn. There was a time when he and Robin had been friends, and while he had tried to salvage that after the Plegian war, the war for Valm shattered any hope that Chrom had of reforging their friendship.

He sighed. "While that wasn't the reason we came here, that does seem to be the plan now, yes." He admitted.

Robin nodded. "Unfortunately, the situation's a little trickier than than." Robin responded. "You see, Grima put a powerful curse on me to prevent me from killing myself. That includes getting into situations where I'm certain I'll die." He looked up at Chrom. "That means that, if you were to try to shove Falchion through my chest, the last curse I placed on Grima's power would break and he would kill you."

That caused the room to go silent. Robin lowered his head again to stare at the floor.

"So what do we do?" Innes asked in frustration.

Robin shrugged. "Well, while I suppose it would be possible for you to surprise me, the curse will prevent me from sleeping tonight, so that solution's out. Realistically, the best chance would be during the middle of a battle, when I least expect it. Alternatively, stab me as soon as I start to turn into Grima. Whatever your plan is, I can't be made aware of it, or else Grima will take control and rampage around."

The other leaders exchanged glances for a few moments, before Ephraim nodded. "Very well. We'll come up with a plan Robin. We'll let you know what it is later." He said.

While Joshua and Raven both wanted to stay, they knew that they needed to help with the planning. Robin waved them off.

"Go on. I just… Want to be alone for now." Robin said. He glanced at Henry, and then looked at Olivia. "Thank you both for helping me, but… Like I said… I'd just like to be alone for now."

Although sad that Robin didn't want them around, they understood that he needed some space right now.

"Alright buddy, you just find me if you need anything, alright?" Henry said.

Olivia nodded her head. "You don't need to be alone if you don't want to be Robin. Just remember that we're here for you."

Robin merely nodded at the two, as they left along with the rest. Raven and Joshua lingered for a few moments longer, but eventually relented and let him be.

* * *

Ephraim rubbed his forehead in frustration. "Just when we thought that this was all over…" He said.

Raven sighed. "As much as I hate to admit it, we should try to use this to our advantage. Having Robin help us in the final battle against the Demon King would help immensely."

"Are you sure? Wouldn't there be a chance that the Demon King could break Grima free?" Chrom asked.

Raven shook her head. "While that's certainly possible, Robin mentioned that something fought Grima for control of Robin's body, and Robin believes that the Demon King is not only the one that brought him back to life, but did so to try and absorb Grima's power. We face good odds that the two will fight each other. However, if we don't fight the Demon King or Grima at the same time, odds are good that the other one will come by and pick us off anyways. If we go after the Demon King and keep Robin back, his last curse will only be able to keep Grima at bay at best two days, and Grima will simply escape. If we attempt to kill Robin now and he catches on, the Demon King will teleport over here and wait for us to get tired during the fight with Grima and pick us off. However, if Robin were able to use a small amount of Grima's power against the Demon King, we at least will have an easier time sealing it away. Then we can worry about Grima. Should the worst come to worst and Robin loses control while we're still fighting the Demon King, we'll just have to deal with it. Hopefully between all of our forces we'll be able to guide Chrom to Grima and kill him quickly."

"Are there no other options?" Innes asked.

"Not really. We're talking about fighting two beings of incredible power that only have one known weakness each. If we kill one, there's better than good chances that the other will absorb the released dark magic of the other and become more powerful anyways. We need to kill both Grima and the Demon King together or we'll just end up making this worse for ourselves anyways."

"So we're going to have Robin fight for us in the final battle?" Joshua asked.

Raven nodded. "Seems like our best bet. The more Robin can help us before Grima takes over, the better. However, keeping Chrom or Lucina near Robin at all times would probably be good, just to hedge our bets."

Joshua folded his arms. "I don't like this. I know it's inevitable, but we're talking about using our friend as a suicide bomb against the enemy."

Raven frowned at the analogy. "I know. I… Wish there was another way, but we are encountering two enemies who have the potential to end the world at the same time, and if we can pit their powers against each other, we might stand a chance."

Ephraim looked around and read the mood of the room. While Chrom's presence had certainly given them some hope that they might all be okay, between the revelation of Morgan as well as Robin's ever-approaching demise only depressed everyone again.

"I'll organize our movements tomorrow with Chrom, everyone else get some rest… We'll need it tomorrow." Ephraim said.

At that, the others nodded and walked to their rooms. They knew that tomorrow would be the day that their conflict ended, one way or another.

* * *

The next morning, a solemn silence fell over the entire army. They had been informed of the situation. They knew that today they would fight not only the Demon King, but Grima. They knew that Robin, the man that half thought had already died for them, and the other half knew had helped get them to where they were today, was going to die.

But they also knew that there was nothing anyone could do about it.

It was very obvious that Robin didn't want anyone near him, and Ephraim and Chrom had given the order to not approach him. Robin had actually applied a tiny repulsion curse to himself that simply made people not want to approach him. He really didn't want to talk to anyone. For one thing, he was still feeling the effects of his rejection of Eirika's feelings last night. He couldn't talk to his daughter, since that would defeat the entire point of rejecting Eirika. Morgan had apparently so far been able to stay outside of Eirika's vision, but her cloak was still identical to Robin's.

Speaking of Robin's cloaks, Eirika was no longer wearing the green one that Robin had been gifted by King Fado. While Eirika normally took the cloak off during a fight anyways, the fact that she was no longer wearing it outside of combat had symbolism that didn't escape Robin.

When they arrived in Darkling Woods, they were immediately set upon by the Demon King's monsters. There was no real time to plan, they simply reacted.

Raven had started maneuvering everyone around, desperately trying to defend against the oncoming horde. Unfortunately, Robin was unable to use expiration in such close quarters and with the foliage as dense as it was. Expiration was only able to be cast at targets in line of sight, and was not developed with allies in mind. Grima created the spell with absolute devastation as the priority, and the spell would not be able to distinguish who Robin did or did not want to kill.

That being said, Robin was hardly idle. Because of his newfound power, he barely used any warp powder when teleporting, and was able to switch between weapons seamlessly. Raven had Robin skirting the outside of the battlefield, chasing down hit-and-run monsters as well as some of the skeletons and magical monsters that were keeping them pinned down.

The small army eventually reached a small clearing with a temple in the middle, unfortunately, this area was absolutely swarming with Grado dark mages and monsters of the Demon King, as well as what looked to be an undead dragon guarding the temple proper.

Raven wanted to save their trump card, Robin, for the encounter against the Demon King proper, and not against his minions, so kept Robin's role to be a teleporting supporter of their main forces. The rest of the army then split their army off, attempting to surround their enemy.

Eirika had been fighting on the front line for quite some time, but the enemy's forces did not appear to be dwindling. She was fighting ferociously, obviously still angered by the events of the night prior. It most certainly didn't help that the Demon King was manipulating the emotions of everyone on the entire battlefield to make the army even angrier than they actually were, in the hopes that they wouldn't fight as effectively.

However, when she heard the sound of Robin teleporting behind her, and then the sound of metal hitting metal, she turned around. Robin had just deflected an arrow that was about to hit her.

The subject of her anger before her, Eirika stormed towards the white-haired tactician in order to give him a piece of her mind.

"Why are you still here?!" She exclaimed.

Robin scowled at Eirika. "I'm sorry, _Princess_ , but all I'm doing is my job. Since you're obviously not focusing enough on watching your back, I have to do that for you." The anger amplification had been wearing on Robin, especially after what he had been forced to do last night. The fact that Eirika seemed angry at him didn't make it any better.

Eirika gritted her teeth at Robin, completely abandoning the front line, only for the gap to immediately be filled.

"Why are we fighting them anyways?! The whole reason why you're here is because you can just _wipe them out_!"

Robin shook his head in frustration. "No, I'm saving my strength for the Demon King, you know, that guy who you GAVE THE SACRED STONE TO?!" He shouted.

"Oh, of course! Now it's MY fault that we're in this situation. Well maybe if mister dark god incarnate had done a better job killing himself, we wouldn't be in this mess in the first place!" Eirika retorted. She acknowledged that there was a voice in her mind that was saying that this was wrong, that she shouldn't be yelling these words at Robin, that she didn't really believe what she was saying. Unfortunately, all Eirika could really perceive was a red haze of anger, and Robin just so happened to be centered around it.

Robin growled at Eirika. "Oh, I'm sorry. I was under the impression that you NEEDED me. I WANTED to find a way to end this all, but you wouldn't let me, remember?"

"Well maybe if I had realized just how USELESS you were, I would never have bothered!" Eirika responded. "Ever since you entered my life, everything has just gotten worse and worse!"

And then came the words.

Even years later, Eirika always regretted the next words that came out of her mouth.

Many would console her, and say that it was because of the Demon King's influence that she said those words, but Eirika never agreed.

"I HATE YOU ROBIN!" Eirika shouted.

While it didn't actually happen, Eirika felt as if time itself had frozen. As if all other noises had simply died. Robin's eyes widened in shock, and then his entire expression twisted into a snarl of rage. Eirika immediately wanted to take her words back. Even in her anger, Eirika knew that she had gone too far. She barely became aware of a dark purple glow surround Robin's body for a moment, and immediately knew that his last curse holding back Grima's power had faded.

Robin reared his fist back as if to strike Eirika, and Eirika stood there frozen. Robin wouldn't… Hit her, would he? She closed her eyes to brace herself anyways. After what she said, she couldn't blame Robin if he decided to retaliate for her remark.

However, the expected blow never came. Tentatively opening an eye, she looked at Robin, only to see that his gaze was fixed on something behind her. Turning around, Eirika tried to follow his gaze, only to see a figure clad with the same robes that Robin currently wore, only with the hood obscuring their face and hair. When she turned to look back on Robin, it seemed as if he had just reached some kind of shocking truth.

"Robin… Who's that?" Eirika asked.

Robin looked down at Eirika, his shocked expression staying that way for a few moments, before he gave the princess of Renais a sad smile while lowering his arm. "Never mind Eirika. I'll do what you ask. It's high time I did something anyways."

As Robin walked towards their foes, Eirika started to panic. She didn't mean to say to Robin what she actually said, she just had been so distraught after last night, and the tension that Robin would die today, and the final confrontation with the Demon King she had just let loose on Robin.

"Robin, it's okay! You don't have to prove anything to me!" Eirika shouted, quickly trying to fix the problem. However, Robin didn't even turn back. He wasn't teleporting anywhere, he simply walked towards the temple in the middle of the clearing.

Eirika was about to pursue, when she heard the sound of running feet behind her. "What is he DOING?!" Raven shouted.

Eirika looked panicked as she turned to look at Raven. "I-I… I was so angry that I just… Exploded at him. I called him useless and then he-"

The air froze. It felt as if raw power flowed through the entire air, piercing their very bodies and shutting down the thought process of everyone on the battlefield, including the Demon King's monsters. Then the voice came.

" **Perish.** " A simple word, and yet, what happened next was anything but simple. All around the battlefield, the dark spikes of expiration skewered the Demon King's forces. One moment, they were all still fighting fiercely against their human foes, and the next, they were dead.

Every head in the clearing turned to face the temple, where Robin had his hand held to the head of the undead dragon, who had multiple spikes skewering it. Moments later, the dragon faded to dust, and Robin lowered his hand.

Barely looking over his shoulder, Robin spoke. " **Chrom.** " The man in question snapped out of his stunned gaze. " **Stay behind me. If I turn around, if I reach for warp powder, if I ready a spell, skewer me immediately.** "

Although Robin's voice had distorted, it was very clearly not the same as when Grima was talking. When Grima's voice spoke through his body, it was a deep pitch, what one would associate with some form of demonic entity. Robin's simply sounded like it was coming from every direction at once, as if his mere voice was powerful enough to echo indefinitely through the air.

Chrom merely nodded at Robin's instructions, and others followed Chrom towards Robin. It took Eirika and Raven a few moments to unfreeze, but when they did, they followed the others. Eirika was desperately trying to shove her way to the front, but Chrom, Robin, and Ephraim had already made their way into the temple.

Eirika eventually caught up to the trio, but the moment she did, she froze at what she saw. There, at the other end of an empty room, stood Lyon.

" **Welcome mortals.** " The Demon King said. " **I would be impressed with you for having made this far… But it was hardly your efforts that led you here, was it?** "

Chrom's eyes never left Robin's back, clearly understanding what was important for him to focus on. However, when Robin took a step forwards, Chrom found himself unable to move. Startled, Chrom looked at his feet, and it was in that moment that Grima struck.

Having taken over not long after Robin's words to Chrom, Grima had no choice originally but to bide his time and wait. However, the Demon King, for whatever reason, had frozen the mortals still, likely so that he could monologue before killing them. Not that he could necessarily blame the Demon King, monologuing was a lost art that most mortals simply didn't appreciate anymore.

Grima quickly stepped out of Chrom's reach and teleported away.

"No!" Chrom shouted, realizing too late what had happened.

Grima appeared next to the Demon King and gave him a stare of utter contempt. " **So you are the one who fought for what's rightfully mine. Because of your actions, I spent three years silent in my vessel's body, completely incapable.** "

The Demon King chuckled in response. " **Ungrateful lizard. You were to be my finest creation, the ultimate tool at my disposal to-urk!** "

The Demon King was cut off as Grima sped forwards faster than he could track and grabbed the Demon King by the neck, squeezing it so that Lyon's body could barely breath.

Grima snarled at the Demon King. " **Foolish creature. I am NO ONE'S tool. I should kill you for your insolence!** "

The Demon King managed to find enough strength to chuckle at Grima's words. " **Ah… But then… Would you survive for long? Your enemies managed to kill you last time… And now, there are more.** "

Grima glanced at the still-frozen forms of Eirika, Chrom, Ephraim, and the rest of the small army and snarled. He turned back to face the Demon King. " **It was because of my vessel that I lost! He is gone now, it will not happen again!** "

Eirika let out a choked sob at Grima's words, but the Demon King responded heedless of her. " **Oh? From what little I know of him, your vessel… He was very clever. Are you sure he didn't leave you any… Surprises?** "

Grima was about to respond that he was absolutely certain, mostly on reflex, but then paused. His vessel was who he was for a reason. He was clever. Far too clever. Clever enough to kill him once, and he wouldn't put it past the man to have figured out another way to do so. He would need to think beyond Robin's expectations, and if that meant temporarily holding off on killing the old bat, then so be it.

" **Fine.** " Grima snarled, causing the entire army to pale in horror. " **But if I must have an ally, I refuse for them to be fighting at anything but their strongest.** " He brought his other hand over Lyon's forehead and _pulled_. The Demon King's screams filled the chamber, and Grima launched something down a hallway. He followed after it, the sounds of footsteps echoing around the entire temple.

Moments later, Robin's old allies regained their ability to move. Eirika and Ephraim instantly shot towards Lyon's body, hoping against all odds that their childhood friend was alright.

"Lyon?! Lyon!" They shouted, trying to wake him up.

For a few moments, nothing happened, and they were afraid that their Lyon was well and truly dead.

However, a groan soon echoed from the presumed corpse. Ephraim and Eirika shot up and unsheathed their weapons, ready to run him through if he had been animated as a zombie.

His eyes fluttered open. They darted around, checking to see if everything was safe. Hey focused briefly on Ephraim, and then landed on Eirika.

"... Ephraim? Eirika?" He questioned. "Is it really you?"

Eirika, with tears in her eyes, pulled Lyon off the ground and hugged him with a death grip. Ephraim soon joined in, wanting proof that his friend that he thought he would have to kill was really okay.

"I… Didn't think I'd actually make it. I thought I'd died… But Robin pulled me back." Lyon whispered. "He was the one who realized I could still come back to you."

Eirika stiffened at that. She wasn't aware that Robin had helped Lyon come back to her, though in hindsight, given that Robin had been the one who had told everyone else that Lyon was still alive, she supposed that made some sense.

While everyone could see that this was a very happy reunion, Raven knew that she had to interrupt it. "I'm sorry you three, but we need to keep moving. Lyon, any insight you can provide on how the Sacred Stone works would be invaluable, but we need to follow after Grima now before they can consolidate."

Immediately sobering up, the three separated.

"Of course. Let's go." Ephraim said, leading the way. Eirika was right behind him, intent on ending this once and for all. She was slightly torn about Robin's death, but she knew that he would want her to hold off on grieving until after her fight was over. Any emotion that she displayed now could and would be used against her by the Demon King.

Lyon started running alongside Raven. "Unfortunately, I only tinkered around with the Sacred Stone of Grado to try and extract power from it. I have limited ideas about how to put said power back in. However, the Sacred Stones are incredibly magical in nature. They should react to the Demon King's presence automatically, and when he is weak enough, it should seal him away. If we can weaken the Demon King enough, our jobs will be done for us."

Raven grimaced. "Easier said than done. We're going to be facing two godly beings who can create their own armies from thin air. Chrom needs to make it to and beat Grima, while the Demon King is breathing down our necks. Grima is likely the more powerful given that recent display, so we'll devote more resources to ending him."

Lyon and Chrom nodded at Raven's plan. They kept running down the hall, hoping that they weren't too late to stop the Demon King from reaching his 'true strength' that Grima had alluded to earlier.

As they saw the end of the hallway, the group heard a ear-splitting roar that caused them all to collapse to their knees while covering their ears. After the loud noise ended, the group looked at each other nervously. They knew that whatever that noise was couldn't possibly be good for them.

After a moment to recover, and once confirming that none of them had gone deaf from the noise, they hurried down the hallway once again, taking off as fast as they could.

Once in the room, the group looked around, desperately trying to find out where their adversaries were.

Evidentially, someone found out the answer, as they shouted "Above!"

Sure enough, upon looking above, their fears were confirmed when Robin's body grinned evilly down at them before giving the group a small little wave.

" **Expiration**." Grima intoned, obviously trying to end the conflict as quickly as possible.

Everyone in the army flinched, but knew there was little they could do to dodge Grima's signature attack. However, while the spikes did appear, none of the spikes actually skewered anyone.

Grima frowned. " **It appears my vessel was more cunning than I thought…** " He mused. " **Now… What was the pesky key to that curse?** " He asked himself, before he adopted an expression of realization and grinned cruelly yet again.

" **Oh that's right… The life of their most beloved.** " He finished.

Before anyone could react to that statement, both Grima and Eirika disappeared in a flash of light, and reappeared on the other side of the room, surrounded by a barrier of dark purple flames.

" **Oh, this is much better, don't you think? Watch closely Robin… I'll pry your greatest joy from you with your own two hands.** " Grima taunted.

Eirika scarcely had any time to pull her sword from its sheathe before Grima was simply in front of her. She blocked Grima's initial strike with Robin's sword, and prepared herself for the toughest battle of her life.

* * *

Meanwhile, the rest of the army had been confronted by the Demon King's twisted true form and the combined armies of the Demon King's monsters and Grima's risen. Ephraim had been momentarily shocked when Eirika had been taken away from him, and had fought like a man possessed towards her location.

Henry had decided to follow the aforementioned prince, mostly because he enjoyed describing curses to people, and Ephraim obviously wanted to know what the hell was happening.

"Wow! I didn't realize that Robin had used THAT curse on himself!" Henry started, attempting to intrigue Ephraim.

It worked. Ephraim briefly turned to face Henry. "What curse?" He grunted.

Henry casually cast a ruin spell at a nearby risen, impaling it quickly. "Well, one really _nasty_ dark mage decided that he reaaaaally didn't like this other dark mage… So he stopped the other guy from being able to kill people! Didn't matter what the other dark mage used, magic, swords, fists, you name it, he just couldn't finish the job! Only catch was that the spell had a way out, because that first dark mage was a real dastard! If the second dark mage killed the person he loved most… He'd be allowed to kill again!"

Ephraim furrowed his brows. "Why doesn't everyone just use that spell and nothing else?"

"Only really works on mages. Even then, you have to be way more powerful than the other guy if you want it to work. The best part is, Robin used it on himself! That way, he didn't have to be super-powerful, it just worked!"

Ephraim nodded. "I suppose that makes it better for us. While we clear a path to Grima, the others can deal with the Demon King. Unfortunately, I refuse to let my sister die, so we need to find a way through that barrier."

"Nyahaha! No problemo, prince guy! I've been making a counter to that barrier since we fought Grima the first time! You're just gonna have to buy me some time. Those things do NOT like to come down."

Ephraim nodded. "Good. I'll buy you the time you need once we get there."

* * *

Raven was directing her own portion of the forces against the Demon King himself. She was having a difficult time however, as Eirika was the one who had the Sacred Stone, and so the Demon King was able to simply run through their forces. While not quite invincible like Grima's dragon form, the Demon King was truly a formidable opponent. Because of his powers over emotion, Raven's forces weren't fighting as well as they should have been, and the Demon King was truly a force to be reckoned with, whether it be by magic or brute force, he was making mincemeat of the well-trained forces that Raven commanded. While there had been no casualties yet, it was close. Stahl and Frederick had been forced to dismount after their steeds had been slain, and Donnel had been knocked unconscious, and had yet to be awakened.

It didn't help that many of the best in the army had immediately ran off towards Grima. Chrom, Ephraim, Henry, Olivia, and especially Morgan, had all gone out of position to clear a path to Eirika.

Raven just hoped that they would make it in time. She wasn't sure how long her own forces would be able to last, but she'd buy the others every second that she could.

* * *

Eirika had been right. This was easily the hardest fight of her life. While Eirika's new style almost seemed custom-built to fight Robin's, since she knew how to counter all of his weapons, switching between tactics as quickly as Grima switched weapons was just not possible, especially when he switched mid-strike.

Currently, she was trying to deal with Grima's latest tactic, which was to cycle through weapons extremely quickly while teleporting around Eirika, leaving Eirika unable to predict when he would strike and how, so she would have barely any time to counter.

A flash to her left caused Eirika to jump back and bring her sword up to barely deflect a thrust from Grima's lance. Grima himself was smiling widely, clearly amused by the current situation.

He was toying with her. He could simply eviscerate her with one of his more powerful spells, but where was the fun in that? Hearing Robin's screams from deep within himself made Grima smile. He was tormenting the man who had tormented him for a year, and getting rid of a major annoyance in the process.

However, he enjoyed Robin's screams a little too much, and didn't even notice that Eirika had followed up her deflection with a swift slash at Grima. Surprised at her course of action, Grima instinctively teleported away, but wasn't fast enough to completely escape Eirika's attack.

Pain. Grima had forgotten what pain felt like. He had been imprisoned in Robin for three whole years, and now he was experiencing the world again, he had forgotten what it felt like to be hurt. Even when he had fully ascended, he had made himself completely indestructible. Before Robin had ran him through, it had been millennia since he had experienced the feeling. Therefore, what would have been a minor annoyance to a normal fighter felt as if he had been shot in the shoulder with an arrow.

" **Gah!** " Grima exclaimed, holding the small cut. He looked down at the wound, and then snarled at Eirika, who stared back at the dragon god, completely baffled by what she just saw. " **Enough!** " He shouted, thrusting an arm out at Eirika.

Grima's spell forced Eirika off the ground, and then shoved her towards the back of the wall with so much force that she left a crater where she landed. She landed onto the ground with a thud, her sword clattering away from her grip as she sat limply.

Ephraim, outside of the barrier, watched what was happening and turned to Henry. "Hurry!" He shouted.

"I'm going as fast as I can! Stop yelling!" Henry replied.

Ephraim turned to L'Arachel, who was currently healing Olivia. "L'Arachel, the moment that this barrier drops, I need you to get to Eirika immediately. Understand?"

"Hmph! For a lady of my station, the least you could do was ask! ...But, if it is for Eirika… I suppose I could let you by this one time." The princess of Rausten responded.

Eirika noticed a flash of light, and looked up at Grima. Her gaze hardened, and even though she knew this was her end, she made sure that Grima would know how much he hated her in her final moments.

" **Well, isn't this a pleasant sight? The princess of Renais, her life mine for the taking. I would toy with you some more, dear princess, but alas, I must admit that I cannot allow you to live much longer.** "

Eirika grinned up at Grima. "Taunt me all you want Grima, but know before I die that you gave me something that I would never have gotten without you." At Grima's confused expression, Eirika smiled defiantly.

"With your actions, I can die at least knowing that Robin really did love me. Robin, if you can hear me, I forgive you for lying to me. I don't know why you did, but I'm sure there was a reason for it."

Grima almost looked amused at Eirika's words. " **I believe that is an acceptable trade. Farewell princess. In the end, you couldn't save your loved ones.** "

Ephraim was screaming, banging against the barrier to try to bring it down. Henry's brow was coated in sweat, as he was also desperately trying to bring down the barrier as quickly as possible.

Grima's blade descended towards Eirika's stomach, and Grima smiled. Robin had been clever, training the one he cared for most enough that she would actually be able to hurt him, but it was not enough.

Then Grima's movement stopped. This confused Grima, yet he could tell that Robin felt oddly… Victorious? A chill went down Grima's spine. Had he fallen for one of Robin's traps? No, he couldn't have. Robin had not placed any more curses on his person. There was no residual magic on Grima's body. There couldn't be!

Meanwhile, everyone else could see that Grima was suddenly enveloped in a bright white light. Eirika felt something pull at her chest, and a tendril of the same white light shot out of Grima and towards Eirika.

Grima was immediately pulled into a dark void. Looking around, his eyes narrowed at Robin, who was smirking cockily at the Dragon God. Grima snarled at Robin.

" **What have you DONE TO ME?!** " Grima demanded his vessel.

Robin grinned. "Oh, I've been sitting on this one for a while. Had to erase my own memory of it so that you wouldn't remember either. When I first learned about light magic, I immediately wondered if I could make curses with light magic."

" **That's impossible. Curses are the act of infecting a being's magic with your own dark magic. Light magic is the magic of the world. It cannot remain in a person's body.** "

"Oh, I know. So I had to change some things." His grin got even wider. "Instead I created something… More like a promise. A restriction placed on me monitored by light magic. Want to guess when I did that?"

Grima narrowed his eyes at Robin for a few moments, before they widened in realization and then expanded even further in horror. " **No. NO!** "

"Oh yes, Grima. When I returned to Eirika. You thought I was just being fancy, didn't you? But that was how I placed the promise on myself. The restriction that I would never hurt Eirika, or else I would experience horrible, horrible pain."

His smile turned sad. "That was what must have happened in Morgan's timeline. RIght after the last curse was broken, I would hit Eirika and trigger this promise. But I managed to figure it out just in time when I saw Morgan just before it actually happened."

Robin grinned ferally at Grima. "You seem unused to pain Grima… I hope you enjoy what I have planned for you then. I'll make sure this is a memory you NEVER forget."

In the outside world, Grima's eyes suddenly widened as he stood over Eirika, his sword still pointing at her heart.

Without any warning, Grima's hands shot up to both sides of his head, and then the completely unexpected happened.

Grima, arguably the most powerful being in existence, one who managed to completely annihilate the world, including all of its armies, civilians, and governments… Was screaming.

His scream echoed throughout the chamber, as he kept clutching his head and writhing on the ground in pain. His screams of pain ceased all combat in the room, all heads turned to look at the dragon god on the floor, his hands holding his head and his back arched in immense pain,

Then, as suddenly as it had started… It stopped. Grima was on the ground in front of Eirika, panting heavily, obviously out of breath. The combat outside of the barrier resumed soon after, the Demon King being confident that Grima was still alive resumed hostilities against Raven's forces.

Eirika shakily stood up and grabbed her sword from the ground, slowly, Eirika advanced on Grima's body, wary of any tricks that he might pull. Grima lifted his head up and stared at Eirika for a few moments… Before smiling.

"Eirika…" he said.

Eirika's expression changed to one of utter shock. "R-Robin?! No, it can't be!"

Robin's grin stayed on his face. He slowly stood up, almost losing his balance and falling as he did so. "I can understand why you'd think that." He said with a chuckle. He smiled at Eirika, and she could tell that it didn't quite meet his eyes. "I don't have much time. One of my traps got Grima pretty good, but he'll be back soon. I need to end this Eirika, and I think I know how."

Eirika was still suspicious of this turning into one of Grima's traps, and kept her sword at the ready.

Even though he saw this, Robin's smile didn't falter. "I'll have this all done soon, but… I just want to say some things before… I go." He trailed off. Robin quickly shook himself out of his depressing thoughts. Now was not the time. Grima was unconscious now because of the pain, but Robin didn't know how long that would last.

"Eirika. I need to tell you… How sorry I am for what I said to you. Today and last night. I love you Eirika. I have for a while now, but I couldn't let you know that. You mean so much to me, and breaking your heart like I did… It hurt me. I can't put into words how much you mean to me." He held her gaze for a few moments, and it was then that Eirika knew that this was real. Robin had bested Grima, and was saying goodbye to her. Before he could finish his thoughts, Eirika rushed forwards, dropping her sword in the process.

Robin's eyes widened in surprise momentarily, before he felt a set of lips on his own. Robin was completely unprepared for this turn of events, and it took a moment before he started to respond to Eirika.

In that one moment, the two of them managed to convey to each other how they felt. It was a kiss that spoke of the unfairness of the situation, the desperation shared between the two to make the moment last forever, to burn that moment into their memories for as long as they lived.

But they both knew that the moment they shared had to end, and Robin was the one who eventually backed away. He smiled brilliantly at Eirika.

"Thank you. Thank you for letting me experience something I thought I never would." He reached into his pocket to pull out some warp powder.

"Robin, wait! Please, you don't need to do this!" Eirika protested, quickly grabbing Robin's hand.

Robin shook his head. "I'm sorry Eirika. I really am, but I have to go now. The peace that we both fought so hard for is right there. All I have to do is take it for us. Please… You need to let me do this."

Eirika was torn, she wanted this war over. She wanted people to stop dying. She wanted to help her brother rebuild her country. She wanted to make her father proud…

But she also wanted Robin. She wanted the man who had helped her throughout her entire journey, the one who always believed in her, the one who treated her like Eirika and not the princess of Renais. The one who could always make her laugh, the one who always comforted her, the one who always understood her.

… The one who showed her what love was.

But Eirika had always been a selfless person. So with great reluctance, Eirika let go of Robin, and wiped her eyes of the tears that had started falling from them. She felt a hand brush a few of her tears away, and saw that it was Robin's hand.

He smiled at her. "Thank you Eirika. I know that this will be hard for you, but I'm sure you'll make it through. You're the strongest person I know after all." As he was about to teleport away from her, he paused, a thought hitting him. "After I'm gone… Ask Raven about Morgan. That should answer some questions and help you through what follows."

Before Eirika could question Robin any further, he vanished in a flash of light, dropping the barrier of flames as he did so.

Ephraim rushed up to his sister, obviously concerned for her safety.

"Eirika! Are you alright?!" He shouted.

Eirika nodded numbly. "Y-yes… Robin, he… He tricked Grima. He took control back… And he said he was going to end this."

Ephraim's eyes widened in shock. "Are you sure? Eirika, how do you know he wasn't tricking you?"

Eirika shook her head. "All he did… Was say goodbye and leave. I couldn't fight him anymore if I tried, and he didn't finish me off…"

Henry started laughing. "Oh man, that's great! Robin got ol' grimy good AGAIN! Man, he's gonna be mad about that one!"

Ephraim and Eirika smiled in amusement at Henry's words. Before they could respond however, an explosion rocked the entire room. Quickly turning around, they were shocked by what they saw.

Robin was sending spell after spell at the Demon King, staggering it and forcing it back. The Demon King sent its own spells back at Robin, but even though they seemed to be damaging Robin, he didn't falter.

"What is he DOING?!" Ephraim shouted, shielding the front of his face with his arms to prevent debris from blinding him.

"Nyahaha! He's got Grima's power! He's beating the crap out of batsy!" Henry responded.

The explosions got more and more intense, to the point where everyone in the room was blown off their feet from the shockwaves. Eventually, Robin finally brought out the big guns.

" **EXPIRATION!** " Robin shouted.

As soon as he shouted the name of the spell, spikes skewered the Demon King from every direction.

" **GAAAAAAH!** " The Demon King screamed in pain.

Before the Demon King could respond with a spell of his own, Robin guided the dark spikes to pin the Demon King to the wall of the temple, temporarily immobilizing him.

Ephraim grinned. "Great! Now all that's left is to get Eirika over there and-"

"Ephraim! The stone is gone!" Eirika shouted.

"What?!" Ephraim shouted in panic, spinning to face his sister. "What do you mean it's gone?!"

"Found it~!" Henry sang, pointing at Robin.

* * *

Robin had just pulled out the Sacred Stone. This was it. His final moment. His last spell. He had studied the Sacred Stone of Renais when he worked back for King Fado and again briefly when they had recovered it a few weeks prior. What he had in mind should work.

He closed his eyes and exhaled. There was no going back from this. He was going to have to use an art that very few dark mages ever managed to use. Many had fallen to the thrall of power that it promised, but he would be using it for only the best of reasons.

He smiled. At least he had gotten to wrap things up with Eirika. Hopefully she and Morgan will be able to comfort each other through his death.

Shocking everyone, Robin what did next, no one expected, not even the Demon King.

He shattered the Sacred Stone.

Shocked silence filled the air, but Robin was not done. He was gathering power around himself, and the shards of the Sacred Stone seemed to be reacting to his power. They hovered around his body in the air and glowed a brilliant white light. After a few moments, the light seemed to be sucked into Robin's body, and the shards of the stone vanished.

Robin flinched as the light of the Sacred Stone entered his body. It hurt, but he had to power through the pain. Distantly, Robin heard the sound of running approaching him, but he couldn't afford to distract himself by turning around.

This was the part that he was worried about. He absorbed the power of the Sacred Stone into his life energy. His Quintessence. Quintessence was vital to the most powerful dark magic ritual, but manipulating one's own Quintessence was extremely dangerous. Luckily, Robin didn't need it to last very long.

As soon as Robin felt that power fully merge with his life's energy, he grabbed it. Powering a spell with Quintessence made it ridiculously more powerful, which is why many of Grima's spells involved sacrifice. However, very few dark mages who could manipulate Quintessence used their own, for one simple reason: it killed them.

While one person's Quintessence was normally not enough to create a spell powerful enough to slay the Demon King, Robin wasn't just one person. He was a very powerful mage that had been through a lot, making his Quintessence more powerful than a normal man's. On top of that, he was the vessel for a millennia-old dragon god, who himself had been resurrected through the sacrifice of thousands of loyal followers, making Grima's Quintessence possibly the most potent in all of existence.

And he was completely unconscious, with no way of resisting Robin tapping into his life energy.

Robin grinned madly at the Demon King. "I suppose this time it'll really all be over… Well… Nothing else to it then I guess." He muttered to himself.

Robin thrust both his hands forwards, and a small beam of dark energy shot out of them and approached the Demon King. It gradually grew larger and larger, until it eventually expanded to the point where it was as large as the Demon King himself, but the spell just kept growing.

At the point of impact however, it was a different story. The dark energy surrounded the Demon King in a ball of pure Dark Magic, which didn't expand like the beam did, rather, it seemed to get darker, denser.

Robin did not name the spell at first, for it wasn't truly a spell. Or at least, not one that could never be replicated. Even if an entity as powerful as Grima managed to live several millennia, sacrifice thousands of lives, and then absorb a similarly powerful holy artifact… The odds that they would give up their life, their life force, to kill one being… Was zero. A being with that much power simply did not end their own lives, it made no sense. So why bother naming a spell if it will never be used again?

It was created to kill what couldn't be killed.

It was made to ended what could never end.

Make the undying die.

It was a…

" **Paradox.** " Robin muttered.

And then the sphere imploded. Violently.

Air rushed out of the room, violently sweeping everyone off their feet. The sphere continuously imploded on itself, getting lighter and lighter each time it imploded. Robin was the only one who seemed completely unaffected by the pull of the sphere, though it was obviously costing him. His teeth were gritted, and his legs were shaking from the exhaustion. His arms, which were still stretched out in front of him, were weak and also shaking from the effort, but he kept pressing on with his spell.

Eirika managed to get up and find her balance. She kept running towards Robin's position, stumbling occasionally on the way. The spell's pulls were getting weaker and weaker, and she knew that it was going to end soon.

As she raced towards Robin, she noticed someone had caught up and was running besides her, glancing quickly at the person, she assumed it was her brother, since the person had the same shade of hair as him and herself.

Moments before she reached RObin though, the Demon King let out one final roar in his death throes.

" **NOOOOO! I AM FORMORIIS! I AM ETERNAL! I AM FOREVER! I CANNOT DIE!** " He shouted, still enveloped by the spell that Robin had used.

However, regardless of the Demon King's protests, the spell that was designed specifically for the Demon King in mind was obviously ending its immortal life.

" **NOOOOOOOOOO!** "

And, impossibly, the Demon King vanished. No longer sealed in a Sacred Stone, instead, killed. The impossible had been achieved. As the Demon King's monsters started to evaporate into mist, all eyes in the room stared at Robin's form, which was teetering back and forth, already starting to dissolve into the same mist that it had when Grima had died.

As Robin started to fall, Eirika zoomed forwards and wrapped the tactician in her arms. She looked down at his expression and her heart shattered. He just looked so… Done. His eyes were half closed, and eyebrows and mouth were formed in a way that showed that Robin was in colossal amounts of pain.

"Eirika…" Robin whimpered, a truly pitiable sound coming from the once-strong tactician. "I'm… So tired… Can I… Rest now? Please… Can I finally stop now?"

Eirika's eyes were so filled with tears her vision became blurry, but she kept staring at the face of the man she loved. "Of course Robin… It's all over now. We can both rest now! Please, just… Don't leave me!"

Robin gave Eirika a shaky smile, and Eirika felt Robin's weight decrease a little bit. Looking down, she realized why that was. Robin's lower half had already disappeared. Robin turned his head to look at the other person next to Eirika.

"M-Morgan…" Robin said in shock. He looked utterly devastated, so Eirika turned to look at the person in question. She froze upon seeing the girl before her for the first time. Though dressed in Robin's current cloak, she obviously had her hair. If that wasn't enough to indicate who she was, the sword at her side certainly helped. It was her own sword, Sieglinde, which was one of the two sacred twins of Renais. There were no others.

"Our daughter…" Eirika muttered in shock.

"Morgan… C-can y-you forgive me? F-for not s-speaking to you… Before today?" Robin managed to get out.

Morgan gave her father a shaky smile, obviously upset at seeing him die again. "Of… Of course Dad! You're the best dad in the whole world after all…" She trailed off, and Eirika started to notice the trail of tears streaming down her face. "I mean… At least I got to enjoy being a whole family… For a little bit, right?"

Robin could only close his eyes in response. "I… Am so sorry Morgan…" He whispered. His torso had already half-faded, and it was only a matter of time before the rest of himself faded as well.

He smiled at the two of them. "C-Could… the two of you do one last f-favor… For me?" Robin asked. "C-Could you both… Look out for each other? I… Would hate to th-think that you were both alone…. Without me."

Eirika and Morgan nodded. "Of course I'll look after m-mom dad…" Morgan trailed off.

"I'm glad…." Robin trailed off.

He looked straight up, his eyes focusing on the ceiling of the temple.

"It's finally all over… No more games to play… No more people to lose… No more fights left… I can rest… At last."

His eyes focused on Eirika before he faded from view. "Eirika… I love you…" He said, only moments before he had completely vanished into thin air.

Eirika clenched her hands, realizing that she was holding nothing but air and choked back a sob. She felt a hand on her arm and saw that Morgan was the one who had grabbed her for comfort.

She embraced her daughter and they both started letting out soul-rending sobs. To the two of them, even though they had saved the world, they had both lost one of, if not the most important thing in it for the two of them.

For Eirika's army, they had witnessed the man who many had come to know as their pillar of strength and stability sacrifice himself to rid the world of two threats forever. None would ever have to worry about the Demon King or Grima ever again… But most of them felt as if the cost may have been too high.

The Shepherds watched in amazement as Robin finally mastered Grima's power and used it to eliminate the Demon King, a threat that they had been assured could not ever be killed. They were even more shocked when Robin had simply vanished into thin air in the same manner that Raven had when Robin had slain Grima originally. Many of the Shepherds had not gotten over their bias towards Robin, but his actions that day made all of them feel guilty about their treatment in the past towards the late tactician.

Lyon stood frozen, not knowing what to do. The amount of power thrown around in the final confrontation against the Demon King was absolutely insane, and Lyon knew that he would never be able to use paradox, as Robin had called it. Lyon looked at Eirika's sobbing form. At one point, Lyon loved Eirika. But she had found a better man than he. Lyon had unleashed a terror upon Magvel and the rest of the world, and Robin had not only stopped it, but had given up his own life to stop it permanently. Not only that, but Lyon had Robin to thank for gaining his life back. He owed Robin big time, and he would make sure that Eirika and Morgan were well taken care of. He would never pursue Eirika though, for that would dishonor the memory of the greatest man he had the chance of meeting.

Chrom stood near the site where Robin had just evaporated. Seeing Raven and Morgan embrace each other brought back flashbacks from when Raven had died. He put his own arm around Raven and pulled her into a soothing embrace of his own. His old friend had died. He couldn't help but feel guilty that there had been nothing he could do to help Robin. The man had given so much, and Chrom had played a huge part in making Robin's life miserable. He just wished that he had been able to make it all better… But he couldn't.

Henry and Olivia were silently watching the spot where Robin had just disappeared. Their best friend had given up his life yet again for the greater good. While on the inside, Henry hated Robin for leaving everyone behind again, he knew that there was no choice. If it had been for Olivia and Inigo, Henry knew that he would be forced to lay down his own life, and Henry didn't doubt for a moment that Morgan and Eirika had been his primary concerns when he confronted the Demon King.

Marisa had a hand on Joshua's shoulder in comfort, as the gambling prince of Jehanna stared blankly where Robin had once been. He was gone. Robin, the one who had convinced him to join this wild adventure in the first place, the one who had helped him improve at a person and always took the time to help him through things when the world seemed to be getting too crazy… Was just gone. One second there, the next second not. His best friend… Just… Joshua couldn't even believe it. He had known, realistically, that Robin had to die for Grima to die, but Robin had just seemed so strong, so unstoppable, so absolutely brilliant, that Joshua was still half-expecting him to appear out of thin air like nothing had happened.

Raven was distraught. She had been putting on a strong front for her brother for quite some time, knowing that he wouldn't want her to mourn him before he was even dead, but now it was all coming out. She was supposed to be Robin's family, and yet she couldn't ever seem to help him. His life had always been so horrible, and yet no matter how hard Raven tried, she could never seem to make anything better. She had come to Magvel in the hope of helping her brother live a fulfilling life, experiencing everything that he never had the chance to with the Shepherds.

Morgan was numb. She had found out her dad was alive only a day ago, but to hear that he was about to die anyways was a massive blow for her. To then be told that she couldn't talk to him because it might tip off her mother to her existence hurt even more, but she understood. She was sure that her dad's most recent death would hit her eventually, but right now, it just didn't seem real.

Eirika was obviously the most broken by Robin's death out of all of them. Robin loved her. She knew that now. She knew that, in another life, they had been together and had a wonderful daughter. Maybe they had managed to defeat the Demon King, maybe not, but they had died happy, since they had obviously loved each other very much. She just wanted Robin back. She wanted the man who had always been at her side, the one who wasn't afraid to say what was on his mind, the one who had been her personal pillar of strength since her father died, the man who saved her and her friends time and time again…

Her love, who had given everything he had for the rest of the world, including his own chance at love and happiness.

The most selfless, kind, and caring man that she had ever met, and would ever met…

Was gone.

And the world seemed so much worse off because of it.

* * *

Robin's eyes opened. Blackness. Thick, never-ending blackness surrounded him on all sides.

Robin sighed. "I thought this was just purgatory, the in-between, but I guess this is the afterlife after all…" Robin muttered to himself.

"It's not the afterlife." Another voice said from behind him.

"No idea what the afterlife is like, but this isn't it." Another said.

Robin spun around. He saw two figures, both male. One looked remarkably similar to himself, though with… Pointed ears?

Then it clicked. "Grima." Robin snarled.

Grima rolled his eyes. "Oh, get over yourself, fool. I'm not your foe." Grima said.

"How do I know you're telling the truth?" Robin asked.

Grima stared at Robin for a moment, before talking. "Let me tell you my story, so you understand me a bit better. Long ago, I was a normal manakete, of the Earth Dragon tribe. We were one of the two smaller, but more powerful, tribes of manaketes. We had lived alongside man peacefully for centuries, but we realized something about ourselves that we could no longer ignore. Our eldest were turning mad in their late age, no longer thinking rationally and simply killing anything that crossed their path. At first we thought it was some kind of illness, but we eventually figured out that that was false. As manaketes aged, we eventually were overtaken by bloodlust and killed anything that moved. However, a divine dragon, whom you know as Naga, found a solution: a dragon stone, which sealed away a considerable amount of our power and made us human permanently, only able to release our powers in times of conflict. I, as well as most of my people, protested the dragonstone, stating that we did not want to become human, we did not want to pretend to be something that we were not, that being a human would be too large of a change. So we fought the divine dragons and the humans, who both insisted that all manaketes use the dragon stones, for we had no alternatives. We were losing badly when I decided that I needed more power. I knew, thanks to practice, many ways to achieve said power, but I was unsure if I could contain it, but I had to try anyway. The power… Was too much for me. I became trapped, a prisoner in my own body as I watched it commit atrocities across the globe, and have been dormant ever since."

Robin's expression softened, but he turned to the other man standing next to Grima. "And who are you?" Robin asked, already having a pretty good guess.

The old man, who was bald with a long flowing beard, chuckled. "I once went by Formortiis, but was eventually known as the Demon King. I was the greatest mage of my time, and wanted to try to experiment with the effect light magic had on neutralizing Dark Magic's poison on the body. My tests on myself were promising, and I believed that with enough time and practice, I could achieve limitless power without my psyche breaking. I had been increasing my own power for decades using this method before one of my enemies managed to cast a curse on me with his last dying breath, infusing me with all of his own dark magic and breaking my mind in the process. The madness claimed me, and I was turned into the monstrosity that you know today."

Robin looked between the two. "Not that I don't appreciate the history lesson, but why are the two of you here? Shouldn't you both still be affected by the madness?"

Grima shook his head. "No. The madness only affected our physical bodies, which can now never manifest in the world again. Thanks for that, by the way." Grima explained, genuinely thankful that he would never have to watch his body attempt to destroy the entire world ever again.

"And besides." Formortiis said, smiling slightly behind his beard. "There is one last good deed that we can do… To try and thank you for all that you did for us."

Robin looked exceptionally confused at Formortiis' words. He knew what the ex-Demon King was implying, but… Surely, they couldn't do THAT, could they?

Grima rolled his eyes. "We still have our power even if we don't have our bodies, human. You're the one who released us both from our living hells. The least we can do is give you something that you should have had in the first place."

Robin's jaw dropped in shock. "So… You're really going to-"

"Resurrect you? Yes. Your time should never have come this soon." Formortiis responded. "We are quite interested in seeing what you will do next, after all."

Robin raised an eyebrow. "Just like that? No strings attached. No time limits for how long I have to live?"

Grima and Formortiis looked at each other. Finally, after silently communicating with each other for a few moments, Grima looked back at Robin and spoke up. "Well… No time limits, but strings… Let's just say you prevent anyone from doing what we did and we'll call it a deal. You don't have to go hunting for anyone, just go if you hear about something suspicious."

Robin nodded in agreement immediately. "Deal. Send me back NOW." Robin commanded.

Formortiis chuckled. "So impatient. Surely you can-"

"NOW." Robin said, his magic starting to manifest around himself.

Grima merely laughed hard, before he and Formortiis both started glowing as well.

"Brace yourself. This will hurt." Grima said.

And then everything went white.

* * *

Eirika's group and the Shepherds had decided to hold Robin's funeral at Renais. They had all immediately gone there from the final battle, and were resting for a few days before the event itself.

Eirika was solemnly showing Morgan around the castle. The two had hardly said anything since arriving in Renais, but neither could blame the other for it. They both knew why they weren't in the mood for talking, and they were just giving each other time and space to recover.

However, their tour was soon to be interrupted.

"EIRIKA! GET IN HERE **NOW**!" Ephraim shouted.

Eirika rushed towards the sound of Ephraim's voice, her hand on the hilt of her sword. She ran down the hallways with Morgan by her side, when she reached Ephraim, she noticed that he had the biggest grin on his face, which was a bizarre turn from the depressed expression that everyone had worn the past few days. What was it that had cheered her brother so?

And then Morgan gasped, and Eirika looked into the room next to her brother. Her mind went blank when she saw a familiar mop of white hair sitting in one of the medical beds, surrounded by his best friends, both old and new. Eirika immediately rushed to his side, even though he was clearly still unconscious.

"Robin?" Eirika whispered, gently caressing Robin's cheek.

Robin mumbled something, startling everyone. They had expected Robin to be horribly injured, but it almost looked like he was just waking up!

As if to answer the silent question being broadcasted throughout the room, Robin's eyes fluttered open before he shielded them with his hands.

"He wasn't joking when he said it would hurt…" Robin muttered under his breath, though everyone clearly heard it.

"Robin?" Eirika asked, a little louder this time, but her voice was still shaky with disbelief.

Robin immediately moved his hands and opened his eyes in the direction of Eirika's voice.

"... Eirika?"

Eirika immediately enveloped Robin in a death grip of a hug, refusing to let go. Morgan soon joined her, followed by Raven and Robin's best friends.

Once the news had spread throughout the Shepherds and Eirika's forces, the day that was originally meant to be a funeral was turned into a massive party.

Robin of course, wasn't aware of that, since Eirika refused to let him leave the room.

But he didn't mind. He was happy. He was content. And most importantly, for now at least, his work was done.

He could rest. With his friends, with his family…

And with his princess.

 _The King's Tactician and The Restoration Queen_

 _Soon after the war, Robin and Eirika were wed. After reuniting with their daughter, the family of three settled down in the royal palace of Renais. While often visited by Raven, Henry, and Olivia, Eirika refused to set foot in Ylisse for many years, refusing to visit even for diplomatic purposes._

 _While Robin was somewhat involved in the training of new troops, he never stopped training himself. When others asked why he was training in a time of peace, Robin always replied "I'm training so that the peace we fought for lasts."_

 **A/N:**

…

 **It's actually done. I didn't think I'd actually be able to finish it, but I did. A year and a half into this thing, and I'm actually pretty proud of what's come out of it.**

 **So, I waffled back and forth with this one, especially on how to kill the Demon King. Hopefully you guys like how I did it, but I understand if you thought this was a bit rushed.**

… **I genuinely don't know what to say here, it's just a big blank.**

 **Thank you all for joining me on this adventure, and I hope you all had a great time. I'll probably come back to this eventually for some one-shots, but not for a while.**

 **A Chance to Matter will be updated by Christmas.**

 **I initially had an idea for a sequel, but I just don't think I'd enjoy writing it. If this story ever gets enough follows or favorites to put it in the top twenty Fire Emblem fanfictions, then I'll consider writing it, but I'd probably make it pretty short.**

 **Also, I'd suggest listening to "Flight of The Silverbird" by Two Steps from Hell. I've decided that that's the theme for Robin, I listened to it on repeat while writing this last chapter.**

 **So… Until next time… Thank you for reading, and see you all around.**


End file.
